Greensboro NC — Preemptive Zoning Defense Against ICE Detention at American Hebrew Academy
The Threat
ACLU obtained heavily redacted FOIA documents showing Baptiste Group (Georgia-based) pitched the 100-acre former American Hebrew Academy campus to ICE as “highly suitable for ICE detention operations.” The boarding school closed in 2019.
Baptiste Group Red Flags
In 2021, a staff member at a Baptiste Group migrant children facility in Tennessee sexually assaulted a child. Tennessee suspended the company’s license in 2022.
Municipal Response
Greensboro amended zoning rules to require special-use permits for detention facilities with 2,500-foot setbacks from residential areas, hospitals, churches, and parks. Mayor Abuzuaiter: “It’s not something I feel is appropriate for the city.”
Both the City and the Academy say they have not been contacted by ICE.
Why It Matters
Greensboro’s preemptive zoning defense is a model for other cities. Rather than waiting for a proposal, the city proactively closed the regulatory path. This is the same pattern as Social Circle (GA) and Surprise (AZ) using municipal tools to block detention before it starts.