For months, two neighbours in Social Circle, Georgia — Democrat Gareth Fenley and conservative John Miller — have shared an unusual morning routine. Each day, they drive several miles down farm-lined roads to check on a massive one-million square-foot warehouse that the US Department of Homeland Security purchased in February.

The empty gray building is part of a $38.3 billion plan to open dozens of immigration detention centers across the United States. The proposed facility would hold up to 10,000 detainees — more than tripling the population of this small farming town that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in the last election.

In March, City Manager Eric Taylor took an extraordinary step: he turned off the water meter to the warehouse, blocking the facility from accessing the town's water supply. The move made this one-stoplight town an unlikely center of resistance to the administration's immigration enforcement plans.

The department has signaled that it is pausing plans to buy additional warehouses like the one in Social Circle, though the fate of facilities already purchased remains unclear. DHS did not directly respond to requests for comment about the Social Circle facility.

What the Right Is Saying

Conservative residents in Social Circle have also opposed the facility, though their concerns center on infrastructure and community resources rather than detention conditions. Many Trump supporters say they back the president's immigration policies but argue the facility would strain local services.

Republican Representative Mike Collins publicly opposed the ICE project. "Although I am aligned with the mission of ICE to detain and deported the criminal illegal aliens who have flooded across our border due to Joe Biden's reckless policies, I agree with the community that Social Circle does not have the sufficient resources that this facility would require," he wrote.

Miller, who runs a 50-acre horse farm across from the warehouse and voted for Trump, said federal officials never properly consulted the community. "It's the same story over and over," he said. "Communities weren't informed. They weren't consulted."

Steven Williford, a cattle farmer in Social Circle who also voted for Trump, said he supports strong immigration enforcement but believes the location was poorly chosen. "I just thought it was crazy to put something like that in this community, with no forethought, no prior authorisation, not even asking the community," he said. "I'm all for doing what's best for the country, but is it best for this community? That's the question."

Miller acknowledged that detention facilities serve a necessary function in the immigration enforcement system. "You can't say that it's something that's needed and then not be somewhat willing to allow a facility to be there," he said. But he added that no community wants such a facility "tarnishing the reputation of their town."

What the Left Is Saying

Democratic residents and progressive advocates have led opposition to the detention center on human rights grounds. Fenley said she and other Democrats in town were concerned about people being "warehoused in a place that was not built for human habitation."

"People have different reasons for aligning with the exact same message," Fenley said. "That message is: 'Detention centre, not welcome here.'"

Georgia's Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock visited the facility and his office participated in a briefing with ICE officials, though a spokesperson said "many questions remain unanswered."

Progressive advocacy groups have raised concerns about reports of abuse in detention facilities. According to ICE, at least 13 immigrants died in ICE custody from January 2026 through early March. Civil rights groups have documented reports of unsafe conditions including lack of food, overcrowding and medical neglect.

Valerie Walthart, a resident who works on a veterinary farm near the proposed facility, expressed concern about the human impact. "We have one high school, one zip code, one grocery store, one stoplight. And we are going to triple the size of our town," she said. "We're going to be overwhelmed."

What the Numbers Show

Social Circle's population: approximately 5,000 residents.

Proposed detention center capacity: 10,000 detainees — which would more than triple the town's population.

Town's daily water permit: 1 million gallons from the Alcovy River.

Current summer water usage: approximately 800,000 gallons per day.

Proposed facility water needs: 1 million gallons per day — equal to the town's entire permitted daily allocation.

Warehouse purchase price: nearly $130 million, more than four times its initial estimated worth.

ICE deaths in custody: at least 13 immigrants died in ICE custody from January 2026 through early March, according to agency data.

Total DHS detention expansion plan: $38.3 billion (£29 billion).

Facilities originally earmarked: 23 warehouse sites nationwide, including Social Circle.

The Bottom Line

The proposed detention center in Social Circle represents a rare instance where liberal and conservative residents have united against a federal immigration initiative. Both sides cite different concerns — human rights versus infrastructure — but share opposition to the facility.

DHS has indicated it is reviewing its warehouse acquisition plans under new leadership, following President Trump's dismissal of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem in early March. The department's statement referenced comments from Senator Markwayne Mullin, Trump's nominee to replace Noem, who said the agency wants to "work with community leaders" and "be good partners."

For now, residents like Miller remain cautious. "They have already pulled the trigger on it," he said. "They have already bought the building, so there's going to be some effects no matter what's done or not done."

The warehouse was originally slated to open in April, but no contract has been awarded and construction has not begun. Residents say they will continue to voice opposition while awaiting the department's review, hoping to preserve what Miller called "the small town life" that drew them to Social Circle in the first place.