ICE purchases $145M Salt Lake City warehouse, sparking local outcry

SALT LAKE, Utah (KIFI) — The Department of Homeland Security has officially purchased a massive warehouse on the west side of Salt Lake City, confirming months of speculation and marking the establishment of the first ICE detention center in the state of Utah.

The federal government purchased the nearly 25-acre property for $145 million. According to CNN, the deed of sale identifies the seller as the holding group R-REEF CPIF.

In a formal statement, ICE confirmed its intentions for the site, stating:

“These will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards. Sites will undergo community impact studies and a rigorous due diligence process to make sure there is no hardship on local utilities or infrastructure.”

Federal officials are leaning heavily into the economic benefits of the project. ICE projections suggest the facility’s construction and operation will generate nearly 10,000 local jobs, contribute $1.1 billion to the regional GDP, and bring in approximately $239 million in tax revenue.

However, local leaders remain staunchly opposed. The facility, an 833,000-square-foot warehouse located near the Salt Lake City International Airport, is rumored to house up to 7,500 beds, according to ABC4 in Utah.

Friday, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson issued a sharp rebuke following the confirmation of the sale.

"I am deeply disturbed to learn that a 833,000-square-foot warehouse... has reportedly been purchased by the federal government to what would likely become a massive ICE detention facility," Wilson said. "The idea of 7,500 detainees being held in the heart of our capital city is simply unacceptable and must never be realized."

The purchase follows a wave of "Beehive State" protests that began earlier this year when rumors of a potential federal site first surfaced.