Social Circle learns more about DHS plans for ICE detention in the city — and the nation

Credit: City of Social Circle

Documents shared by the Department of Homeland Security with leaders in the town of Social Circle describe a new national model for immigration detention. 

The documents were posted by the city of Social Circle after its long-awaited one-on-one conversation with DHS about the future of a warehouse DHS recently bought in the city for $128 million. 

The plans describe how the Social Circle warehouse will become one of a number of hubs across the country, with capacities of at least 8,500 people, in a nationwide hub and spoke system. The "spokes" will be more like the 1,500-capacity center planned in the city of Oakwood in Hall County. 

After people are funneled from the outlying spokes, they will be concentrated in the hubs. Hub detentions are planned to be short, a maximum of two months, before deportation. DHS describes the aim of the system as speeding up "international departures."

Savi Arvey runs the ICE Flight Monitor for the group Human Rights First. She said the pace of ICE deportations spiked last year, and many of the deported were hurried out of the country without exercising their rights of due process. For instance, a federal judge in Georgia’s Middle District Court recently issued a standing order to make ICE comply with court decisions meant to give immigration detainees bond hearings.

"The focus on speed is extremely concerning," she said. "If they're trying to speed up this process even further, it's only going to extremely exacerbate the due process violations, the separation of families, also conditions in detention centers."

What DHS calls their ICE Detention Reengineering Initiative is aimed to add 24,000 beds to the system by the fall, a 30% increase over current levels.  

In their post on their official website, Social Circle leaders said DHS told them the further aim is to reduce the number of total detention centers nationally from 300 to 34. Attempts by GPB to confirm that with DHS were unsuccessful. 

Social Circle leaders also still contend that city utilities cannot accommodate the detention center. Its plans include onsite wastewater treatment and special cisterns meant to cache local drinking water at night during off peak hours.  

Arvey said that as the program ramps up, she will be watching to see which airports see an increase in ICE flights, whether flying between detention centers or for international deportations. 

The new system will be paid for by $38 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.