Oakwood to Get New $150M ICE Processing Facility

City officials say they were left out of the planning process for the large immigration detention center.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The Department of Homeland Security plans to spend over $150 million to convert two warehouses in Oakwood, Georgia into a new regional processing center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The facility is expected to have a capacity of 1,400 to 1,600 people and will serve as a regional hub for the nearby Social Circle Detention Center. Oakwood's city manager says the city was not consulted about the plans and has concerns about the facility's impact on sewer capacity and the local community.

Why it matters

The new ICE facility in Oakwood is part of the Trump administration's efforts to ramp up immigration enforcement and deportations. While supporters say it will play an important role in removing 'criminal illegals', critics are concerned about the human rights implications and the lack of community input in the planning process.

The details

According to U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde's office, the Department of Homeland Security plans to spend over $158 million to retrofit the two warehouses along Atlanta Highway near Interstate 985. The facility is expected to open in the next few months and will cost around $160 million to operate for the first three years. Oakwood's city manager says the city was 'left out in the cold' and not consulted about the plans, which he says could impact the city's sewer capacity. A local business owner whose pizzeria is across the street from the facility says the community is 'nervous' about how it will affect their business.

  • The facility is expected to close in the next two weeks and be operational in the next few months.
  • DHS plans to spend over $158 million to retrofit the facility and $160 million to operate it for the first three years.

The players

B.R. White

Oakwood City Manager who says the city was not consulted about the new ICE facility.

Andrew Clyde

U.S. Representative who confirmed the plans for the new ICE facility in Oakwood.

Marie Martinez

Owner of a pizzeria across the street from the new ICE facility who is 'nervous' about how it will affect her business.

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What they’re saying

“Left out in the cold. Our assumption was that this facility would be in support of the inland port that's being located just to the north of here. We would have loved to have had a conversation up front to address some concerns that we have, especially about sewer and sewer capacity.”

— B.R. White, Oakwood City Manager (fox5atlanta.com)

“It was shocking. It was very unexpected. We're just nervous going into this new venture. We're not sure if that's going to affect business levels, if that's going to make our customers uncomfortable.”

— Marie Martinez, Pizzeria Owner (fox5atlanta.com)

“North Georgia knows the horrors of illegal alien crime all too well. I fully support President Trump in protecting American citizens by detaining and deporting criminal illegals from our communities. The new Oakwood ICE facility will play an important role in this fight by serving as a regional processing center. In addition to assisting ICE's mission and mass deportations, the forthcoming facility will also bring a major economic investment to the City of Oakwood and surrounding communities.”

— Andrew Clyde, U.S. Representative (fox5atlanta.com)

What’s next

The facility is expected to close in the next two weeks and be operational in the next few months.

The takeaway

The new ICE facility in Oakwood highlights the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement and the lack of community input in the planning process for such facilities. While supporters see it as a necessary tool to combat 'illegal alien crime', critics are concerned about the human rights implications and the facility's impact on the local community.