Oklahoma City Residents Oppose Planned ICE Detention Facility

Despite legal limitations, residents voice concerns over proposed 1,500-bed detention center near schools and neighborhoods

Jan. 27, 2026 at 6:39pm

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Oklahoma City residents packed a City Council meeting to oppose a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility on the city's south side. While the city's attorneys warned that local ordinances would likely not hold up against the federal government due to the Supremacy Clause, residents urged the council to use every legal lever available to resist the facility. Speakers described ICE as a "rogue, paramilitary force" that has "trampled on the supreme law of the land" and called on the council to reject the facility on human rights grounds.

Why it matters

The planned ICE detention facility has raised concerns among Oklahoma City residents about the impact on their neighborhoods, schools, and public safety. The case highlights the tension between federal immigration enforcement and local control, as well as broader debates around the role and practices of ICE.

The details

The Department of Homeland Security is looking to purchase a 415,981-square-foot warehouse on the south side of Oklahoma City to convert into a 1,500-bed ICE detention center. The facility would be located near businesses, neighborhoods, and two schools in the Western Heights school district. City officials acknowledged that local ordinances would likely not be able to legally restrict the federal government's plans due to the Supremacy Clause, but residents demanded the council use every available avenue to oppose the facility.

  • The Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to the Oklahoma City Planning Department in December 2025 detailing their plans for the detention center.
  • Oklahoma City residents packed the City Council chamber on an icy Tuesday, January 27, 2026 morning to voice their opposition to the proposed facility.

The players

Geoff Butler

Oklahoma City Planning Director, who addressed the council about the DHS letter and the city's legal limitations in restricting the federal government's plans.

Camal Pennington

Oklahoma City Councilman for Ward 7, who stressed the need to put pressure on the city's federal representatives to influence the Department of Homeland Security.

Kenneth Jordan

Oklahoma City Municipal Counselor, who explained that the city's existing ordinance requiring a special permit for detention facilities would likely not be enforceable against the federal government.

James Cooper

Oklahoma City Councilperson representing Ward 2, who expressed his strong opposition to any ICE facility in Oklahoma City or across America.

David Holt

Oklahoma City Mayor, who was absent from the proceedings as he was in Washington D.C. presiding over the annual winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

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What they’re saying

“Let me just be very clear — I do not support any sort of ICE facility in Oklahoma's capital city. I do not support it anywhere in Oklahoma. I do not support it anywhere across America.”

— James Cooper, Oklahoma City Councilperson, Ward 2 (The Oklahoman)

“ICE has become a rogue, paramilitary force. Simply put, they have trampled on the supreme law of the land, which we all acknowledge is the Constitution of the United States.”

— Jordan McCoy, 28-year-old Eagle Scout and former Oklahoma Army National Guard member (The Oklahoman)

“If this facility opens, Oklahoma City becomes a link in a chain of state‑sanctioned suffering. Reject this facility, not as a zoning violation, but as a human‑rights violation.”

— Christina Griffith, Oklahoma City resident (The Oklahoman)

What’s next

The Oklahoma City Council stated they will prepare a legal memo outlining possible options the city can take to address the planned ICE detention facility. They also emphasized the need to put pressure on the city's federal representatives to influence the Department of Homeland Security's plans.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement efforts and local communities, as well as the legal limitations cities face in resisting such federal initiatives. Despite the council's acknowledgment of these constraints, the strong public opposition demonstrates the deep concerns residents have about the potential human rights and community impacts of an ICE detention facility in their city.