Overview
- DHS informed Hanover County on Jan. 21 that it intended to purchase and convert the Ashland site into an ICE holding and processing facility.
- County supervisors unanimously opposed the plan on land-use grounds and said they would consult the county attorney on legal options.
- Jim Pattison Developments says it had accepted an offer from a U.S. government contractor and did not initially know the ultimate buyer or intended use.
- The proposed deal prompted protests, calls for boycotts in Canada, and at least one firm, Point Blank, suspending business with the Pattison Group.
- The property spans roughly 550,000 square feet on about 43.5 acres, was built in 2024, and the cancellation leaves DHS’s next steps unclear.