Georgia town blocks massive immigration center over concerns about water and sewer capacity

A small town about 45 miles east of Atlanta is pushing back against a massive immigration detention center leaders say will stretch its infrastructure past the breaking point. Social Circle City Manager Eric Taylor said there is a lock on the water meter at the facility, and it will stay there until U.S. Immigration and […]

A small town about 45 miles east of Atlanta is pushing back against a massive immigration detention center leaders say will stretch its infrastructure past the breaking point.

Social Circle City Manager Eric Taylor said there is a lock on the water meter at the facility, and it will stay there until U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can demonstrate that it can operate the facility without overburdening water and sewer services.

“There is a lock on the meter,” Taylor said in a statement. “A representative from ICE was informed about the lock on the meter shortly after the sale of the property when she inquired about how to establish an account. The lock is there until ICE indicates how water and sewer will be served without exceeding our limited infrastructure capacity. The City of Social Circle is not satisfied that an adequate engineering analysis has been conducted.”

Taylor said information provided by ICE officials suggests the facility, originally built to be an industrial warehouse, would exceed the water and sewer capacity of the town. Plans call for the facility to house up to 10,000 detainees at a time and employ up to 2,500 people, according to city officials. Social Circle’s population is around 5,000.

The detention center is part of ICE’s $38.6 billion Detention Reengineering Initiative funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to facilitate the Trump administration’s controversial mass deportation plans, but Social Circle leaders reported being blindsided by the plans late last year when they became public.

“City officials learned of the media report at the same time as the public,” the city posted in a news update in December. “To date, no representative of the federal government, ICE, or the property owner has contacted the City in any way, nor has the City received an application related to detention operations.”

According to ICE documents shared by Social Circle, the project is set to include more than 2.3 million square feet of space across three buildings on 183 acres of land.

Other planning documents show that eight large-scale detention centers across the country, including the one planned in Social Circle, would house detainees for “periods averaging less than 60 days” before they are deported.

In addition to dormitories for detainees, the agency says the facilities will include lobbies, recreational space, courtrooms, intake and processing zones and cafeterias as well as amenities for ICE agents and contractor staff like offices and exercise facilities.

ICE expects all of its new facilities to be in operation by the end of November, the documents show.

The Trump administration’s mass deportation policy and ICE’s aggressive tactics have been subject to scrutiny – and protest, especially after the high-profile deaths of civilians in Minneapolis. But Latino Community Fund Georgia Deputy Executive Director Jean-Luc Rivera said opposition to the facility has gone beyond politics or immigration policy.

“Social Circle is doing what they need to protect their residents and make sure they still have access to water and the utilities they need,” he said. “I think this is probably being seen as obviously more a pushback on the detention center being built in regards to immigration, but also I think a really important factor here in this story is that this is also to protect the residents of Social Circle and make sure they have access to the utilities because of the huge drain that this is going to put on the infrastructure there that’s not built for this.”

Social Circle is located mostly in Walton County, where President Donald Trump won more than 70% of the vote in 2024.

ICE did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. In an FAQ attached to the documents shared by the city, ICE said it had ensured its detention centers will not overwhelm local resources.

“ICE conducted a thorough due diligence process prior to purchasing each facility. The due diligence review included thorough site inspections, analysis of utility services, and testing and inspection of mechanical and electrical systems. Our teams also reviewed zoning reports, conducted site fit testing and reviewed power supply systems, water supply infrastructure and wastewater exportation based on estimated usage.”

WSB-TV was the first to report the news of the site’s locked water meter.

Oakwood plan

Officials in another conservative Georgia city are pushing back against another, smaller ICE facility. Earlier this month, the Oakwood City Council voted unanimously to call for a stay on construction of a planned ICE detention center there.

Oakwood, which is south of Gainesville, is located in Hall County, which also gave more than 70% of its vote to Trump.

According to Georgia Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde, the Oakwood facility would serve as a regional processing center rather than a detention center. That means the capacity would be up to 1,600 detainees, who would spend up to a week there on average before being moved to a detention center.

“Based on ICE’s economic impact analysis, track record, and unwavering commitment to protecting the American people, I am confident that the Oakwood ICE facility will be a safe and prosperous addition to the Ninth District,” Clyde said in a statement.

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