Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on Apr. 7 that New Jersey and the Township of Roxbury have asked a federal court for a preliminary injunction to block the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from turning a vacant warehouse in Roxbury into an immigration detention center.
The request comes as DHS plans construction activities on the site, which is protected by a state easement, possibly starting in late May. State officials say this move could strain local infrastructure, increase public safety risks, and impact resources for residents if the facility housing up to 1,500 detainees with 1,000 staff is allowed.
The legal motion notes that similar efforts by DHS in Maryland were found likely unlawful by a federal court. The complaint states that ICE has already spent $129 million to acquire the Roxbury property, but further taxpayer spending should be halted until the lawsuit is resolved. The proposed site currently lacks adequate water or sewage capacity for such occupancy levels; converting it would increase demands more than fifteenfold and risk sewage overflows into nearby lakes including Lake Musconetcong and Lake Hopatcong.
“The Trump Administration has ignored State and local officials in pushing its ill-conceived plan forward because it knows the local impacts are indefensible, and this facility will not make the community safer,” said Governor Sherrill. “We are standing up for New Jerseyans in a bipartisan manner to ensure their drinking water, public safety, and pocketbooks are protected.” Attorney General Davenport said: “We need swift relief to ensure we can enforce the law and protect New Jerseyans. DHS cannot transform local neighborhoods into detention outposts without considering the impacts on local resources and consulting with the State and local governments. The court needs to step in before the damage is done, not after a lengthy case renders it too late.”
According to the official website, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property while delivering statewide enforcement support; his office holds authority across all counties according to the same source. Public safety oversight throughout New Jersey falls under his statutory mandate as well according to official information.
The motion seeks relief under several federal laws including environmental review statutes due to concerns about water pressure reduction for residents, increased fire risk from lower flows needed for firefighting, groundwater depletion affecting wells nearby homes or businesses as reported near Route 46’s interchange with Interstate 80—a stretch already marked by dozens of crashes since 2019.
