Federal judge halts ICE detention centre construction at California site over environmental review

A 26-acre California site was being turned into an ICE detention facility without a full environmental review; a federal judge has now halted construction until the government completes the required analysis/Image: Reuters A federal judge has halted construction of a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Gilroy, California, ruling that the federal government must address environmental review requirements before the project can proceed.US District Judge Eumi Lee granted a preliminary injunction on Friday, September 11, in a lawsuit brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Santa Clara County. The order keeps construction on hold while the court considers the next steps in the case.The dispute centres on a 24.5-acre property in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County that the federal government leased in January 2025 for use as a potential ICE holding facility. State and county officials argued that construction began without the required environmental assessment or consultation with local authorities.Judge cites environmental risks at proposed ICE siteIn her ruling, Lee found that the county and state had identified specific environmental ha...