April 15, 2026 – Today, a nonpartisan coalition of environmental organizations and Roxbury community residents filed a motion and a proposed amicus brief supporting New Jersey’s and Roxbury Township’s request for a preliminary injunction to the United States District Court of New Jersey.
The emergency request seeks to stop the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from converting a vacant industrial warehouse in Roxbury into a mass immigration detention facility.
The warehouse is in the New Jersey Highlands, a 1,300-square-mile, environmentally vital region stretching from Philipsburg on the Delaware River to West Milford and Mahwah on the New York border, encompassing 88 municipalities across seven counties. Designated for protection, it provides clean drinking water to over 6.2 million residents (two-thirds of the state) while offering significant scenic, historic, and recreational areas.
On March 20, 2026, New Jersey and Roxbury filed a complaint and, subsequently, on April 7, requested emergency relief because DHS has indicated it plans to begin construction activities as early as late May. The complaint claims the construction threatens New Jerseyans’ drinking water resources, environmental justice communities already overburdened with stressors, important but constrained sewer service systems, a state-issued environmental protection easement, and other environmental harms.
Earlier in March of 2026, another federal court found an identical DHS decision to convert a warehouse into an ICE detention facility likely unlawful because federal law requires a full assessment of the impacts on state and local infrastructure and environmental resources.
“This warehouse conversion in the midst of New Jersey’s environmentally sensitive Highlands Region must be stopped because federal law requires a hard look at the impacts and none has been offered,” said Julia Somers, the Executive Director of the Highlands Coalition “The Highlands Region is protected because the State Legislature found that it is a ‘landscape of special significance’ and an important source of drinking water depended on by over 70% of the State’s residents.”
“DHS and ICE’s misguided decision to target the Roxbury Township property for their detention center makes absolutely no sense as this property is largely protected from further development through a conservation easement,” said Alison Mitchell, executive director of New Jersey Conservation Foundation. “From an environmental protection standpoint, their plans run afoul of federal requirements and counter to New Jersey’s efforts to protect critical wildlife habitat and the Highlands region.”
Concerned Residents of the Roxbury Community, a group of local residents most immediately affected by DHS’s plans, joined the brief to provide first-hand perspective on what the conversion would mean for daily life in Roxbury.
Ann Mauro, a member of the Concerned Residents, wrote, “I’ve lived in Roxbury Township for nearly 30 years and have been actively involved the entire time. My family went through the public school system, played on teams at the parks, and volunteered with local groups to serve our community. Our neighborhoods, parks, clubs, businesses, and schools all reflect the people who live here, and all would be negatively impacted by an ICE warehouse.”
Related: Judge sets May 12 hearing in fight over Roxbury ICE plan
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