County Fight Blocked

Dallas County TX — Hutchins blocks proposed 9,500-bed ICE mega-warehouse

Dallas, TX FIPS 48113

Current status: Owner Majestic Realty publicly refused to sell or lease the warehouse to DHS for ICE detention on Feb 16, 2026, after intense city and county opposition. No federal paperwork was ever filed; DHS has not confirmed an alternative Dallas-area site.

The Fight

After a December 2025 Washington Post report identified a ~1,000,000-square-foot Hutchins warehouse as a candidate for a 9,500-bed ICE detention center — a facility that would have dwarfed the city’s ~6,000 residents — local leaders and residents mounted swift opposition. At a February 5, 2026 City Council meeting, residents condemned the plan, with Pastor Eric Folkerth arguing the warehouse was “meant for packages, and we should not be storing humans in a warehouse meant for packages.” Mayor Mario Vasquez told the room: “If you think anybody up here is on board with it, you’re in the wrong building.” Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia issued a statement opposing the facility.

The decisive blow came from the property owner: on February 16, 2026, Majestic Realty announced it would not sell or lease the building to DHS for detention, saying it would instead pursue tenants that “drive economic growth.” Because no federal paperwork had been filed and DHS never formally confirmed the project, the owner’s refusal effectively ended the deal at this site.

Key Details

Site: ~1,000,000 sq ft warehouse near the I-45/I-20 interchange, Hutchins (Dallas County), FIPS 48113.
Proposed capacity: ~9,500 beds (some accounts up to 10,000) — described as a candidate for the largest ICE detention site in the U.S.
Owner: Majestic Realty (declined the proposal Feb 16, 2026).
Opposition: Hutchins Mayor Mario Vasquez, City Council, residents, Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia, faith leaders.
Outcome: Blocked at this site via owner rejection. Part of ICE’s national warehouse plan to house ~80,000 immigrants.

Sources

This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.

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