ATLANTA, Ga. — Federal officials have notified leaders in Oakwood and Social Circle that the government is proposing to sell two warehouse facilities previously slated to become Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, a development closely watched across metro Atlanta.
ICE purchased both properties earlier this year before dropping plans to convert them into federal detention facilities. City managers in both communities confirmed receiving written notices that the federal government is proposing to move on from the sites. A real estate firm hired by the government currently lists both facilities as part of the federal warehouse portfolio.
In Oakwood, Department of Homeland Security officials said they are proposing to sell excess property on the 3600 block of Atlanta Highway. DHS bought a 540,408-square-foot warehouse in Oakwood for 68.2 million in 2025, according to deed records cited in coverage of the notices. Oakwood City Manager B.R. White said an earlier letter went to neighboring Flowery Branch because the warehouses carry a Flowery Branch ZIP code even though they sit inside Oakwood city limits; he later received a revised letter.
Oakwood was previously discussed as a processing site expected to house an average daily population of 1,000 to 1,500 detainees for stays of about three to seven days. In April, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin put a pause on a broader 38-billion detention expansion plan. City officials said they never received formal notice that the facility was approved and had pushed back on the lack of communication.
In Social Circle, the property at 1365 Hightower Trail includes a warehouse built in 2024. Federal officials found no historic properties affected and opened a comment period for local governments, tribes and the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office. Social Circle City Manager Eric Taylor said the community would like to see the building returned to manufacturing or distribution use.
An ICE spokesperson said the agency continuously evaluates detention capacity based on operational needs and did not explicitly confirm sale timelines. Neither city has been given a firm schedule for listing or closing a sale.
