Residents urge Cottage Grove to oppose renewal of Hero Center lease to ICE

At the start of the Oct. 15 meeting, two Cottage Grove residents urged the City Council to oppose renewal of a contract that allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use the local Hero Center for training.

Jana White, who identified herself as a Cottage Grove resident since 1986 and a former teacher, told the council she was surprised to learn the Hero Center is leased to ICE for training and said residents should be able to expect safety and due process. White asked the city not to “condone ICE actions” and urged the city to end the Hero Center lease when it comes up for renewal.

Ruth Jones, another resident who spoke during open forum, provided figures she said were associated with the arrangement: she said the Hero Center lease renews Aug. 1 for one year at $74,600 and asserted that, since 2020, ICE has received $749,000 related to the Hero Center. Jones said she feels complicit as a taxpayer and urged the council to cut ties with ICE.

Both speakers said the Hero Center arrangement is handled by a separate facility board and that city residents have limited control over its contracts; they asked the council to use its influence to oppose renewal. The speakers’ comments were made during the council’s open forum; no formal council action or staff response to the specific request was recorded on Oct. 15.

Mayor Myron Bailey and councilmembers did not take action on the speakers’ request during the meeting; the item was presented as public comment rather than a council agenda item. The council meeting transcript shows the open forum comments were limited to the three-minute public comment period and the speakers’ requests were entered into the public record.