The City of Social Circle met with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and would like to share information that has been provided to us. 

DHS stated that they “will fully implement a new detention model by the end of Fiscal Year 2026”. The plan is to transition the ICE detention system from private operations to government-owned facilities. DHS plans to implement a “Hub and Spoke Model,” in which four smaller processing facilities will feed into the larger detention facilities. The proposed facility in Social Circle is identified as one of eight “mega centers” that will be located across the nation. Overall, ICE intends to reduce its number of facilities from approximately 300 to 34 nationwide. The facility in Social Circle is expected to house anywhere from 7,500 to 10,000 detainees and will be constructed using a modular design so that capacity can be scaled up or down as needed. 

At this time, no construction contracts have officially been awarded for the build-out of the facility; however, a construction contract is expected to be awarded within the next week. It is possible that, due to the government shutdown, this timeline could be slightly delayed. Once a contract is awarded, the estimated construction timeline is approximately 60–75 days, which would place the potential start of intake between mid-May and June. The facility is projected to employ approximately 2,000 to 2,500 staff members. 

Documentation provided indicates that the facility will include, but not be limited to, holding areas, gyms and recreational spaces both indoors and outdoors, court facilities, intake areas, cafeterias, laundry facilities, on-site health services, and a gun range. 

In documents supplied to the City by DHS, it is stated that the facility will have “no adverse effect on the community and surrounding properties.” The City contends that the information provided is insufficient in fully answering our questions and does not adequately support the conclusion that the surrounding area would not be impacted.  

The City’s concerns regarding water and sewer infrastructure have not been addressed to our satisfaction. We continue to have more questions than answers. DHS referenced a wastewater analysis to support its claims of available capacity; however, a portion of that capacity was attributed to the A. Scott Emmons Treatment Facility.  This treatment facility is not owned by the City of Social Circle, is not located within the city limits, is in a different county, and does not connect to the City’s utility system or this building.  

The remaining available capacity referenced in the analysis was attributed to a sewer treatment plant the City is planning to build. Construction on this plant has not yet begun and will take a year to eighteen months to build, meaning it will not be operational by the time DHS intends to begin intake. The City’s plan was to construct the plant with an initial capacity of 1.5 million gallons per day and then increase capacity incrementally as the City grows, with long-term expansion to 3 million gallons per day. Documents provided by DHS indicate this detention facility alone would have a sewage demand of 1,001,683 gallons per day. The City’s current wastewater system processes 660,000 gallons a day and is already operating at capacity. It cannot accommodate an increase in usage of this magnitude.  

It is also important to note that the City’s current $65 million bond allocation only funds construction of the new plant to its initial 1.5 million-gallon-per-day capacity. Any expansion beyond that level would require additional funding. If DHS intends to rely on this future facility to meet the demands of its project, the question remains whether it plans to assist in alleviating the significant financial burden associated with accelerating or expanding that infrastructure. 

Plans provided by DHS indicate the potential for on-site wastewater treatment; however, what remains notably unclear is where the resulting liquid effluent would actually be discharged. Where exactly is this effluent intended to go, given that the City’s existing wastewater treatment plant is already operating at capacity and is strained to manage current demand, let alone accept additional waste from a facility of this scale? In addition, this raises concerns regarding potential impacts to local wetlands depending on the final disposal location. 

With respect to water supply, DHS analysis references a cistern-based approach in which tanks would be filled from local municipal systems during off-peak hours. Regardless of the time of day, the City’s infrastructure cannot accommodate this level of demand—a point City officials have stated repeatedly. While the proposal is certainly creative, it does not resolve the fundamental issue: the total additional water demand required for a facility of this scale simply exceeds what the City’s system is capable of providing. Supplying that volume would require substantial infrastructure expansion, new permitting, and significant investment that does not currently exist. When City officials asked whether DHS would provide financial assistance for such upgrades, representatives did not have an immediate answer and instead suggested hypothetical alternatives, such as drilling a well on the property or transporting water from off-site sources.  

To be clear, the City has repeatedly communicated that it does not have the capacity or resources to accommodate this demand, and no proposal presented to date has demonstrated otherwise.  

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that an economic impact study has been conducted in connection with this proposed facility; however, City officials have not received a copy of that study and are awaiting the opportunity to review the analysis.