Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on Apr. 7 that New Jersey and the Township of Roxbury have asked a federal court for a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from turning a vacant warehouse in Roxbury into an immigration detention center.
The request comes as DHS has indicated it may begin construction activities on protected land by late May, raising concerns about the impact on local infrastructure, water supply, sewage systems, and traffic. The proposed facility would house up to 1,500 detainees with a staff of 1,000 in an area not zoned for such occupancy.
According to the complaint filed by New Jersey officials, DHS and ICE did not follow federal laws requiring consultation with state and local governments or assess environmental impacts before moving forward. The motion also points out that a similar attempt by DHS in Maryland was found likely unlawful by another federal court. ICE has already spent $129 million acquiring the Roxbury warehouse.
“The Trump Administration has ignored State and local officials in pushing its ill-conceived plan forward because it knows the local impacts are indefensible, and this facility will not make the community safer,” said Governor Sherrill. “We are standing up for New Jerseyans in a bipartisan manner to ensure their drinking water, public safety, and pocketbooks are protected.” Attorney General Davenport said: “We need swift relief to ensure we can enforce the law and protect New Jerseyans. DHS cannot transform local neighborhoods into detention outposts without considering the impacts on local resources and consulting with the State and local governments. The court needs to step in before the damage is done, not after a lengthy case renders it too late.”
Officials say converting this warehouse could increase water demand fifteenfold—posing risks of sewage overflow near Lake Musconetcong—and worsen traffic hazards at an already dangerous highway interchange.
The action reflects broader efforts by state authorities like New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin who aims to protect residents’ lives through legal enforcement statewide according to its official website. The attorney general’s office extends authority throughout all counties according to its official website, influencing public safety through law enforcement oversight according to its official website.
The office holds statewide authority over prosecution of offenses under statutory mandate according to its official website while offering services such as legal representation for state agencies, crime lab support, victim advocacy programs, consumer protection initiatives according to its official website, functioning as an agency focused on justice across New Jersey according to its official website.
