Concord, in Cabarrus County, is among 21 cities across the US that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has either bought or plans to buy warehouses to convert into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers to house illegal immigrants.
The proposed warehouse site is northeast of Charlotte and would have room for 1,500 beds, according to property records and DHS documents referenced in a Feb. 18 article in The New York Times.
On Friday, city officials posted on X that the city was aware of the rumors of a proposed detention facility, but it had not been contacted by ICE or was aware of any plans for one.
The City is aware of rumors in the community that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency may be looking at a location within Concord or Cabarrus County for a detention facility. The City has not been contacted and is not aware of any plans from the agency.
— City of Concord (@ConcordNCgov) February 20, 2026
Earlier this month, there was a report that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) received documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request indicating that an ICE detention facility would be housed at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, Guilford County, but neither they nor the City of Greensboro received any such notification.
The facility was previously supposed to be used to house western North Carolina families displaced by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.
Reports state the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) terminated its lease with American Hebrew Academy on April 1, 2025.
That same FOIA request also showed that ICE was planning on converting the Rivers Correctional Center in Winton, Hertford County, into a detention facility. County officials also said they haven’t received any notification on ICE’s intentions.
Neither Greensboro nor Winton is listed on the DHS documents in the NY Times article.
Proposed detention facilities expansion of 92,600 beds to cost $38.3 Billion
The cost for the newly proposed detention facilities is $38.3 billion and is being funded through an allocation from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Bed capacity would be expanded to 92,600 beds. ICE plans to activate all facilities by Nov. 30, according to an ICE document.
Regional Processing Centers will house an average daily population of 1,000-1,500 detainees, with average stays of three to seven days. These will serve as staging locations for transfers or removals. Large-Scale Detention Facilities can house 7,000-10,000 detainees for periods averaging less than 60 days. These sites will serve as the primary locations for international removals.
Eight of the warehouses have already been purchased in states including Maryland, Georgia, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
There are concerns by residents and officials in these states, according to the NY Times and other publications, that the facilities will strain water and sewer infrastructure, diminish property tax revenue, and harm local businesses. They have also expressed humanitarian concerns about the length of time and the conditions to which detainees would be exposed.
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said recently that the massive new immigration detention facilities planned by the federal government “do not belong” in Pennsylvania.
He told reporters earlier this month that he was working to see what his administration could do to stop DHS from moving forward with its plans.
While Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has not commented on any of the proposed sites for North Carolina, he has been critical of the ICE operation “Operation Charlotte’s Web” that took place in Charlotte and Raleigh late last year, along with several immigration enforcement bills that became law.
Stein highlighted the importance of having secure borders, but he slammed Congress for having a broken immigration system in a social media post in November.
“Unfortunately, our immigration system is broken, but rather than fix it, the federal government continues to play politics with it. It is long past time for Congress to act. We need strong borders,” Stein said in the video. “We must hold accountable and deport anyone who has committed a serious crime and we must create a path to legal status for those who’ve been here a long time, paid their taxes and followed the law, especially our dreamers who came to this country as very young children.”
The governor also vetoed HB 318, The Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act, which requires the state’s sheriffs to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. It took effect on Oct. 1, after the state legislature overrode his veto.
The law also states that when an undocumented individual is arrested, and ICE issues a detainer, local officials must hold the person for up to 48 hours to allow for federal pickup. It also prohibits local governments from adopting sanctuary policies and introduces penalties — including potential loss of state funding — for noncompliance. Additionally, it requires jail administrators to notify ICE when they reasonably believe someone in custody is unlawfully present in the United States, even if a detainer has not yet been issued.
Stein said while he vetoed HB 318 because he believes it is unconstitutional, he does support the bill’s efforts to require sheriffs to contact federal immigration authorities about people in their custody charged with sexual battery, armed robbery, arson, assault on public officials and court personnel, and other dangerous crimes.
“People who commit these crimes should be held accountable, whether or not they are here without legal authorization, and those charged with serious offenses ought to receive increased scrutiny from federal immigration officials.”
But he said his oath of office requires that he uphold the Constitution of the United States.
“Therefore, I cannot sign this bill because it would require sheriffs to unconstitutionally detain people for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released,” he said. “The Fourth Circuit is clear that local law enforcement officers cannot keep people in custody solely based on a suspected immigration violation. But let me be clear: anyone who commits a serious crime in North Carolina must be prosecuted and held accountable regardless of their immigration status.”
He also vetoed SB 153, the North Carolina Border Protection Act, saying the bill would also make North Carolinians less safe.
It mandates broad cooperation between state agencies and federal immigration authorities, and seeks to curb sanctuary city policies across the state. It is scheduled for a possible veto override on March 9.
