Salt Lake City residents demand council block potential ICE detention center; council promises review

Dozens of Salt Lake City residents used the council’s public comment hour to urge elected leaders to take concrete steps to prevent a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility from opening in the city.

At the council’s formal meeting, speakers — including MJ Powell, Kylie Aquina and TJ (Tai Young) — said a local warehouse owned by the Ritchie Group has been mentioned in public reporting and activist documents as a potential site for conversion to a large detention center. “Residents recently mobilized after learning that a warehouse owned by the Ritchie Group may be under consideration,” said MJ Powell during public comment. Several speakers repeated a claim circulated by protesters that the site could house as many as 7,500 detainees; that figure was presented as part of community reporting and was not confirmed by city staff or federal agencies during the meeting.

Speakers asked the council to adopt a range of measures, including restoring unlimited public comment on the issue, passing a resolution opposing the construction of detention facilities within city limits, requiring judicial warrants before city facilities are used for immigration enforcement, mandating public reporting on city interactions with federal agencies, funding contingency legal services for Salt Lakers, and creating community advisory bodies to monitor rights and compliance. “We need you to ensure there is not a single dollar going to DHS,” said Haley Monfredi, summarizing the demands some commenters advanced.

Council members acknowledged the public’s concerns and described the limits of municipal authority over federal immigration enforcement. An administration representative pointed attendees to updated online resources for immigrants and a “Future Citizens Path” program offering legal help for naturalization; the administration also highlighted language‑access services available through slc.gov. Several council members said they are pursuing further review and follow‑up with staff: one council member said they have requested a task force and a policy review to determine what local steps the city can legally take.

No formal action or vote on immigration policy occurred at the meeting. The public comment period allowed residents to place their concerns on the record; council members said staff would continue investigating possible municipal responses, including policy clarifications and potential coordination with other cities that have taken steps such as conditional‑use or special‑permit requirements for detention facilities.

The council chair closed the public comment period after the registered speakers finished. Council members and staff said they would continue discussions in follow‑up meetings and working sessions rather than acting immediately at the formal meeting.