About a dozen residents spoke out against a possible U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center during Thursday's Concord City Council meeting, urging local leaders to take a public stance against the proposal.
In February, The New York Times reported that ICE was seeking to purchase a 414,000-square-foot warehouse on Weddington Road in Concord that could hold up to 1,500 detainees.
Thursday's meeting was not the first time residents raised concerns. Community members also spoke against the proposal during an April Concord City Council meeting, arguing that the facility would harm immigrant communities and alter the character of the city.
Among those who addressed the council on Thursday was Concord resident Rebecca Hannah Patton, who criticized city leaders for not adopting a resolution opposing the project.
“For two months, we’ve come before you warning that Concord is a target for a private ICE detention center,” Patton said. “By refusing to pass a resolution, you are accidentally sending a message that Concord is a soft target.”
Concord City Council member Alvarys Santana told WFAE she opposes the speculated detention center and is in support of a resolution.
“To me, it's a nightmare, a big nightmare,” Santana said. “But from a safety perspective, how do we expect people to speak out on crimes, to speak out on different things, when the possibility is that depending on the way that they look, they're going to be targeted?”
WFAE spoke with a leasing agent of the Weddington Road property who said ICE has not contacted them about a potential purchase.
