Romulus, Michigan: No ICE Detention Camp Here!

Christopher Oliphant

No Kings Rally in front of Romulus warehouse with Michigan State Representative Dylan Wegela speaking.

IN MICHIGAN, MORE than 300 Romulus High School students walked out of school protesting the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this February 11. The students alerted school officials about their plan, and the Superintendent commended the students for their organization and respect.

The walkouts followed a January 28 article in Bloomberg Report that mentioned Romulus, a city of 25,000 close to the Detroit and Willow Run airports, as a potential site for a new ICE detention center.

Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight sought to reassure his community that reports were just rumors. But by February 23, hundreds gathered in front of the city hall complex after the sale between property owners of an idle warehouse and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was finalized.

The 250,000 square foot warehouse (five football fields) was purchased for $34.7 million, 57% more than its previous sale price, with funds from the $75 billion slush fund that Congress appropriated for ICE.

On a frigid Monday night hundreds turned out before a city council meeting, demanding “ICE Out!” The meeting lasted more than two and a half hours, with the council unanimously passing a resolution opposing the detention center, citing the proximity of the warehouse to nearby elementary and middle schools, the health, safety and welfare of Romulus residents, and negative impacts on economic development. The warehouse sits in a flood zone with neither the water nor sewage infrastructure to house up to 1500 detained people.

A Coalition to Shut the Camps (CSC) developed out of weekly Saturday afternoon pickets in front of the warehouse. A “regulatory punch list” package of letters was sent to various state and local agencies, demanding full transparency on all proposals and the opportunity for public meetings. Thirty-three organizations signed on, including Huron Valley Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Metro Detroit DSA and No Detention Centers in Michigan.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has since joined with the City of Romulus in a lawsuit against DHS/ICE, alleging that the federal agency failed to consider environmental impact.

CSC has also leafletted homes and schools in the area, encouraging people to talk to their neighbors and join the weekly pickets and meetings.

On March 28 the CSC held the Romulus No Kings rally at the warehouse, attended by 350-400. Speakers included Congress­woman Rashida Tlaib, State Representative Dylan Wegela (speak­ing) and community members including a fiery middle-school teacher.

The community response echoes those across the country where ICE is buying and setting up warehouse “processing centers.” The purpose of the revamped detention and deportation system, in the words of soon-to-be-retired Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons put it, would be “[Amazon] Prime, but with human beings.” Actually, it sounds more like boxes after all.

May-June 2026, ATC 242