Officials in Social Circle, Georgia, shut off water service to a 1-million-square-foot warehouse purchased by the Department of Homeland Security for conversion into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. City Manager Eric Taylor placed a lock on the water meter this week, citing the town's inability to support the facility's demands on local infrastructure.

The warehouse, bought for $128 million, nearly five times its $29 million assessed value, is set to house between 7,500 and 10,000 detainees, more than doubling the population of the 5,000-resident town. Social Circle lies in a rural area of Walton County, where nearly 75% of voters supported Donald Trump in recent elections, making it a conservative community generally supportive of immigration enforcement efforts.

Local leaders have voiced concerns since the federal purchase became public earlier this year. The town's sewer system, built in 1962, handles a maximum of 660,000 gallons per day and is already at capacity, while officials estimate the facility would require around 1 million gallons daily. Water is drawn from the nearby Alcovy River under state permits allowing 1 million gallons per day, a limit nearly reached last summer. Taylor warned that without upgrades, the strain could lead to overflows, stating the town could see 'poop on the ground over there.'

Additional worries include the loss of property tax revenue—the federal government pays none, unlike the previous owner, who contributed about $300,000 annually—and burdens on limited emergency services, such as the town's single ambulance and small police force. The site is less than a mile from an elementary school, raising safety issues for residents.

Taylor told reporters that DHS representatives asked him to activate the water, but he refused until they addressed the infrastructure shortfalls directly. 'I told them I’m not going to do it, not until they come and talk to me,' he said. No direct communication from federal officials has occurred despite city requests, leaving leaders like Taylor determined to halt the project. 'We are still 100% motivated to try to stop this any way we can,' he added.

The facility forms part of a broader Trump administration push to expand detention capacity amid mass deportation plans, including eight mega-centers and 16 processing sites nationwide at a projected $38 billion cost. ICE aims to activate sites by November 2026, with average detainee stays of three to 60 days. DHS maintains that the Social Circle site will meet standard detention requirements.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock toured the city's aging water infrastructure on March 2, criticizing the federal approach as poor management for ignoring local input. Residents, including business owners and families, echo practical objections over ideological ones. John Miller of the One Circle Community Coalition said, 'Our identity is built on our small-scale, rural character, a character that is incompatible with a federal facility of this scale.'

Private prison operator GEO Group has expressed caution about warehouse conversions due to logistical challenges and local resistance. As tensions rise, Social Circle's stand highlights strains between federal immigration goals and small-town realities.