The Fight

ICE pursued a 16,000-bed immigrant detention “mega center” in Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee — which would have been the largest ICE facility in the United States. The proposed site was an industrial park on Cedar Creek Lane containing two massive warehouse buildings (863,573 sq ft and 1,151,585 sq ft), located about 2 miles from Wilson Central High School.

The plan collapsed under bipartisan but primarily Republican opposition — a rare and significant political dynamic. This is one of the clearest examples nationally of conservative “not in my backyard” resistance to Trump administration detention expansion.

Key Details

Timeline

• Feb 13, 2026: Tennessee Lookout reports ICE statement saying it had “purchased” a facility in Lebanon
• Feb 16-17, 2026: ICE distributes the same statement to other media outlets
• Feb 17, 2026 (later): ICE reverses course — “ICE has NOT purchased a facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. That statement was sent without proper approval and this mistake has since been rectified.”
• Feb 19, 2026: DHS senior counsel confirms to Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto and Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell that ICE is “in the due diligence phase of a feasibility study” for a detention center in Lebanon city limits
• Feb 18, 2026: Hundreds pack Wilson County Commission meeting to oppose the facility
• Feb 22, 2026: Wilson County Mayor publicly reveals the 16,000-bed scope — would employ 4,000 people year-round
• Feb 24, 2026: Tennessee House Republican opposes facility
• Feb 25, 2026: Sen. Marsha Blackburn announces the deal is dead; ICE confirms “no plans to move forward”

Political opposition

• 24 of 25 Wilson County Commissioners (all-Republican body) signed a resolution opposing the facility
• State Sen. Mark Pody and Rep. Clark Boyd — all Republicans — publicly opposed
• Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell: “as a conservative Republican, I support a secure border” but his town “is not the place”
• Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan warned a facility of that scope would “significantly impact local law enforcement resources”

National significance

• Cited by Axios as part of a “Republican revolt” against ICE detention expansion plans
• Part of DHS Secretary Mullin’s broader plan to convert warehouses across the U.S. into detention facilities ($1.074 billion spent on 11 warehouses nationally)
• The chaotic rollout — premature announcement, reversal, then confirmation — exposed poor communication within DHS/ICE

Sources

• ICE to open second Tennessee immigrant detention center in Lebanon (Tennessee Lookout, Feb 13, 2026)
• Wilson County Mayor: ICE eyes mega center to house up to 16,000 (Tennessee Lookout, Feb 22, 2026)
• Hundreds pack Wilson County meeting to speak out (Tennessee Lookout, Feb 18, 2026)
• Sen. Blackburn: ICE ends plans for Wilson County mega center (Tennessee Lookout, Feb 25, 2026)
• ICE reverses course, says it hasn’t purchased facility (Tennessee Lookout, Feb 17, 2026)
• Republican revolt derails ICE detention facility plans (Axios, Feb 26, 2026)
• Tennessee House Republican opposes ICE detention facility (Tennessee Lookout, Feb 24, 2026)