Romulus MI Warehouse — ICE Regional Processing Center · MI · 500 beds · ICE (federal)

Overview

In February 2026, ICE purchased a commercial warehouse at 7525 Cogswell Street in Romulus, Michigan (Wayne County) without notice to the state, city, or public. The facility is planned to detain approximately 500 migrants and ICE claims it will bring 1,458 jobs and $33 million in tax revenue.

Key Details

Address: 7525 Cogswell Street, Romulus, MI
Purchase date: February 2026
Purchase price: $34.7 million for 250,000 sq ft warehouse
Planned capacity: ~500 beds
Facility type: Regional processing center
Claimed economic impact: 1,458 jobs, $33M tax revenue
Current status: PAUSED — DHS reviewing under Secretary Mullin (April 2026)

Legal Fight

The Romulus facility is one of the most actively contested warehouse purchases (see romulus-mi-warehouse-fight):

February 27, 2026: Michigan AG Dana Nessel demands ICE halt the plan
March 24, 2026: City of Romulus and State of Michigan file lawsuit to block conversion

Lawsuit Allegations

The complaint alleges the warehouse is inappropriate for detention because:

Located within a mile of an elementary school and middle school
Abuts residential neighborhoods
Lies within a floodplain that experienced flooding as recently as 2025
Lacks adequate infrastructure (bathrooms, sewer system) for 500 detainees + staff

DHS Pause (April 2026)

On April 1, 2026, DHS under new Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced a pause on all warehouse purchases for detention, including a review of all contracts signed under former Secretary Kristi Noem. The Romulus warehouse is one of 11 warehouses purchased nationally at a combined cost of $1.074 billion — all now under review.

Mullin’s DHS stated: “as with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals.” During confirmation hearings, Mullin acknowledged infrastructure concerns regarding water and sewer systems — the exact issues raised in the Romulus lawsuit.

The original plan under Noem was a $38.3 billion initiative to expand detention to 92,000 beds through 8 large-scale centers (7,000-10,000 beds each) and 16 smaller regional processing centers. The pause suggests potential recalibration, though the Trump administration’s deportation agenda remains active.

No court ruling on the Romulus lawsuit has been issued as of late May 2026. The case is in federal court.

April Court Filings & Litigation Update (Apr–May 2026)

On April 22, 2026, DHS filed nearly 500 pages of documents supplementing its response to the AG/Romulus request for a temporary injunction. The filings detailed the agency’s plans and rationale:

The Cogswell Street site (249,000 sq ft, purchased Feb. 4 for $34.7M) would be retrofitted as a “Detention Processing Center” for short-term, temporary housing of people in immigration custody awaiting processing.
Renovations: building 3,800 feet of fencing, exterior lighting, security cameras, and a security checkpoint.
A DHS environmental-protection specialist’s memo flagged lead contamination under the soil surface, stemming from the property’s earlier use as a junkyard — alongside the flooding/sewage concerns the state already raised.
The state alleges DHS purchased the site without conducting required environmental reviews (NEPA) or notifying state/local authorities in advance.

Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight vowed the city would not issue a permit or certificate of occupancy for the facility.

Intervenors: On May 11, 2026, the ACLU of Michigan, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, and Detroit Justice Center moved to join the case as parties. A motion hearing originally set for late April was rescheduled as a virtual proceeding for May 21, 2026 — the first at which all three organizations would appear as parties. The case is in its third month with no ruling on the injunction as of late May.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) publicly pressed ICE over the warehouse’s use for detention (Apr. 23).

Status as of June 2, 2026: Still no ruling on the preliminary-injunction motion argued at the May 21 virtual hearing. The DHS warehouse pause (April 1, Mullin review of Noem-era contracts) remains the operative status, and the facility is not operational. No new filings or ruling reported in the May 28–June 2 window.

Protests (April 2026)

On Saturday, April 25, 2026, about 200 protesters marched roughly 1.5 miles from Romulus Middle School to the Cogswell Street warehouse, opposing the detention plan and citing the violent enforcement operations in Chicago and Minneapolis. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist participated. Coverage described the protests as growing through late April into May.

Political Dynamics

Governor Whitmer has been notably silent on the issue while AG Nessel has been the primary state-level opponent. This has drawn Axios coverage of the political split.

The Romulus City Council unanimously voted on March 23, 2026 to join AG Nessel’s lawsuit against DHS and ICE.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Senate Civil Rights Committee advanced bills (SB 508, SB 510) along party lines in March 2026 that would limit ICE enforcement in schools, hospitals, and places of worship, and require body cameras on immigration officers. These face Republican opposition in the Michigan House.

Detention Pipeline

Romulus MI Warehouse — ICE Regional Processing Center