ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and others gathered for a press conference to announce a lawsuit over a proposed ICE detention facility in Romulus.
The lawsuit comes a month after federal immigration officials purchased the vacant warehouse in Romulus with plans to convert it into a detention facility.
Watch the full press conference in the video below
Romulus Mayor Robert A. McCraight said during the hearing that the city has had no official communication from the feds about the proposed facility.
"Any use proposed for this type of detention center will not be permitted because it would be in direct violation of our zoning ordinances," McCraight said.
The lawsuit is being filed by the State of Michigan and City of Romulus, according to Nessel.
"DHS's plans have thrown the community into disarray, with businesses questioning plans to move into Romulus, nearly daily protests, taxing Romulus' small police force, and diverting the city's limited resources to respond to the latest outsider's incursion into its jurisdiction," Nessel said.
The facility would be housed in the former Gage Marketing Group headquarters. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says the project will create nearly 1,500 jobs and contribute $160 million to the GDP, while generating roughly $33 million in tax revenue.
Watch below: ICE facility plan in Romulus sparks concern as officials tout economic impact
However, the plan has drawn fierce opposition from some residents and elected officials who worry about the facility's effects on their neighborhood.
A week after the announcement, leaders in Romulus passed a resolution opposing the proposed ICE facility, with citizens showing up to the meeting and voicing their opposition.
Watch below: Protesters and counter-protesters clash over Romulus ICE detention facility plan
The lawsuit is the latest across the country over proposed ICE facilities in the U.S.
Just last week, a federal judge in Maryland extended an order that blocked work on a warehouse that ICE plans to turn into an immigrant detention center, according to Maryland Matters.
Maryland has sued to block the detention center, and U.S. District Court Judge Brendan Hurson extended the temporary restraining order.
You can read the full lawsuit by the state in the video below
