Story perspectives

Judge Orders ICE to Halt Roxbury Detention Site Use

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 12:18 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

ICE Violates Order

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processed detainees at the Roxbury, New Jersey warehouse in September, violating a court order.
Judge ordered ICE not to use the Roxbury site until an environmental study is completed.
DHS spent nearly $1 billion to buy the Roxbury warehouse and ten other sites.
New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is reviewing reports of ICE activity at the Roxbury facility.

Summary

Mejía Warns Profit

Rep. Analilia Mejía warned that CoreCivic and GEO Group dominate U.S. detention centers.
GEO Group holds a massive government contract to house undocumented migrants.
Detention beds raise corporate stock prices and create profit incentives for continued incarceration.
Taxpayer funds directly finance CoreCivic and GEO Group operations at detention sites.
Mejía argues the profit model undermines due process and harms American values.

History

Historical Context

Signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13 1994, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act funded $9.7 billion for new prisons and created a Truth-in-Sentencing grant program that required states to serve at least 85% of sentences. The resulting surge in incarceration paved the way for private operators such as CoreCivic and GEO Group, now used by ICE’s $1 billion warehouse lease.

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ICE Violates Order

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processed detainees at the Roxbury, New Jersey warehouse in September, violating a court order.
Judge ordered ICE not to use the Roxbury site until an environmental study is completed.
DHS spent nearly $1 billion to buy the Roxbury warehouse and ten other sites.
New Jersey Attorney General’s Office is reviewing reports of ICE activity at the Roxbury facility.

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