Communities Fight to Stop ICE Detention Centers

Residents and local leaders struggle to block federal plans for new immigration facilities

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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A growing number of communities across the country are facing plans by the federal government to convert vacant properties into new immigration detention centers. In Kansas City, Missouri and Oklahoma City, local residents and leaders have pushed back against these plans, citing a lack of communication and transparency from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). However, communities have few legal tools to stop the federal government from moving forward with these facilities.

Why it matters

The establishment of new ICE detention centers in local communities has become a flashpoint, as residents voice concerns over the impact on their neighborhoods and the perceived lack of input from federal authorities. These disputes highlight the tension between local control over land use decisions and the federal government's authority over immigration enforcement.

The details

In Kansas City, a private developer announced it would not transfer a vacant warehouse to the federal government for conversion into an immigration detention center, following weeks of public pressure from the local community. In Oklahoma City, city leaders were caught off guard by ICE's plans, as the federal agency provided little communication or opportunity for input on the proposed facility in a vacant warehouse.

  • Last month, outrage erupted in Oklahoma City over plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility.
  • Last week, a private developer in Kansas City announced it would not transfer a vacant warehouse to the federal government for an immigration detention center, after weeks of public pressure.

The players

David Holt

The mayor of Oklahoma City, a former Republican state senator who says land use decisions are among the most crucial for municipal governments.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency responsible for the plans to convert vacant properties into new immigration detention centers across the country.

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What they’re saying

“Planning a major development without city input is antithetical to the in-depth, sometimes arcane permitting, planning and zoning process in Oklahoma City.”

— David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City (Stateline)

What’s next

The disputes over the proposed ICE detention centers in Kansas City and Oklahoma City are ongoing, as local communities continue to push back against the federal government's plans.

The takeaway

The battles over new ICE detention centers highlight the limited tools available to local communities to block federal immigration enforcement efforts, even when residents strongly oppose the facilities in their neighborhoods.