ICE to sell Romulus warehouse, abandoning proposed detention facility conversion

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Photos taken on Friday Feb. 13 of the rumored ICE facility

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A proposed ICE detention center at a warehouse near Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) no longer has a future.

Big picture view:

Attorney General Dana Nessel announced on Thursday that ICE has abandoned its plan to convert the Romulus warehouse into an immigration detention center, prompting it to sell the facility instead.

The warehouse was located on the 7500 block of Cogswell Street, where ICE purchased the location in February 2026. Nessel later said the purchase was made without notice to Michigan, the City of Romulus and without fulfilling statutory requirements.

The backstory:

In March, the City of Romulus and AG Nessel sued ICE and Homeland Security on the argument that the proposed location was not an appropriate place for a detention center, as it was located close to elementary and middle schools, sits next to a neighborhood, lies within a floodplain and lacks the adequate infrastructure for 500 detainees and staff.

"The decision to sell the facility is a victory not just for the residents of Romulus whose day-to-day life would have been negatively impacted by its presence, but for the entire metro region," Nessel said. "The ICE warehouse proposal was every bit as ill-conceived as it was cruel and unnecessary, and I am relieved that this chapter is coming to a close."

The lawsuit also argued that DHS and ICE violated the Administrative Procedure Act by not considering other facilities in the area like prisons, jails, or detention centers. It also stated that DHS did not comply with environmental requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The facility conversion was stalled after Nessel sought a court order to stop construction, which was briefed in April. DHS and ICE then agreed to delay initiating construction, pushing the start to the end of June, then through the end of July.

What's next:

Now, ICE and DHS have decided to sell the warehouse. AG Nessel said the case will remain active until DHS and ICE reach a written agreement saying they will never use the Romulus warehouse as a detention center.