Lebanon council and residents push for answers after unconfirmed reports of ICE facility
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Summary
Residents urged city action after social-media reports and a third-party map suggested ICE purchased land for a detention facility in Lebanon; mayor and councilors say no federal office has directly contacted the city and staff continue to investigate.
Residents and councilors pressed the Lebanon City Council on Feb. 17 after online reports and a community mapping project suggested U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had purchased property for a detention facility in the city. Several speakers at the public-comment portion urged officials to investigate and to stop the plan if it is real.
John Thurston, a resident and Wilson County Democratic Executive Committee member, told the council he opposes any ICE facility in Lebanon and drew historical parallels between detention centers and past labor-camp systems. Angela Slater said community researchers cited a Project Saltbox map and reported projections that a Lebanon facility could bring “7,216 jobs”; she urged the council to contact the governor’s office and to examine the economic model behind the projection.
Mayor Rick Bell said city staff and councilors have pursued the lead, contacting local, state and federal representatives up to a senator’s office, and found no direct contact from ICE or the Department of Homeland Security. The mayor told residents the city’s information remains secondhand and that no federal official has formally requested zoning, utilities or permits from the city. He also noted that available industrial properties do not currently have sufficient water and sewer capacity for a large detention facility, and that any federal project would likely require substantial infrastructure work.
Councilor comments reflected frustration with mixed reporting. Councilor Bridal read a correction attributed to ICE’s public affairs office announcing that ICE “has not purchased a facility in Lebanon, Tennessee,” and said the original statement had been sent without proper approval. Several councilors said they would continue seeking clarity from state and federal offices.
Next steps: the mayor said staff will keep pursuing confirmations and will update the council as new information becomes available. No federal agency spokesperson spoke at the meeting and the council took no formal action to block a federal facility.