Overview
- DHS notified Hanover County on Jan. 21 that ICE intends to purchase, occupy and rehabilitate a 43.5-acre site with a roughly 550,000-square-foot warehouse for holding and processing operations.
- Jim Pattison Developments says it accepted an offer from a U.S. government contractor, later learned ICE was the ultimate user, and states the deal remains subject to approvals and closing conditions.
- Hanover County says it did not initiate the project, has a 30-day response window, and is consulting legal counsel on zoning and regulatory authority with a public meeting set for residents to speak.
- Canadian pushback includes a boycott call from B.C. Green Party leader Emily Lowan, a union letter from UFCW Local 1518 urging withdrawal, and a warning from B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma to reconsider dealings with ICE.
- Other Canadian links under scrutiny include Hootsuite’s DHS-related social media work and ICE funds earmarked for Roshel armoured vehicles, with concern heightened by recent fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis.