Lake County IN — Merrillville opposes proposed ICE warehouse, owner declines to sell
The Fight
After a December 24, 2025 Washington Post report named Merrillville (Lake County) as a candidate site in ICE’s national warehouse-conversion plan, town leaders moved quickly against it. The location at issue was a recently built, vacant ~289,000-square-foot warehouse at 8719 Mississippi Street, owned by Minneapolis-based Opus Holdings. On January 28, 2026, the Merrillville Town Council unanimously adopted a resolution opposing an ICE detention or processing facility, finding it “does not align with Merrillville’s values,” after more than 40 minutes of resident testimony. U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1) followed with a February 5, 2026 letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem raising public-safety and infrastructure concerns.
The owner then took the deal off the table: in a February 4, 2026 letter, Opus confirmed the building had not been sold to the federal government and that it was not negotiating with ICE or any federal agency. As of mid-February 2026, no formal federal notice had been received, leaving the matter contested but with no active acquisition.
Key Details
- Site: ~289,000 sq ft warehouse, 8719 Mississippi Street, Merrillville (Lake County), FIPS 18089; owned by Opus Holdings.
- Capacity: Unknown — no specific bed count published for this site.
- Opposition: Merrillville Town Council (unanimous resolution Jan 28, 2026); 40+ minutes of resident testimony; U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1) letter to DHS (Feb 5, 2026).
- Outcome: Contested; owner declined to sell or negotiate (Feb 4, 2026). A separate Indianapolis warehouse was reportedly considered for an 8,500-bed facility — distinct from this Lake County site.
Sources
- Could ICE have a Merrillville warehouse? Despite public rebukes, local officials still unsure — The Indiana Lawyer (Feb 10, 2026)
- Warehouse owner not looking to sell or lease facility to ICE — NWI Times
- Public Statement from Town Leadership Regarding Reports of a Potential ICE Facility — Town of Merrillville
- Merrillville Takes Action Against Rumored ICE Facilities — Lakeshore Public Media (Jan 29, 2026)