ICYMI: Warnock Celebrates Cancellation of Social Circle Detention Center

New reporting by the New York Times, confirmed by DHS, indicates that plans for new detention centers across the country are being abandoned

Two planned facilities in Georgia, Social Circle and Oakwood, are among those detention centers no longer being considered

Senator Reverend Warnock has led efforts to block the retrofitting of warehouses that would have served as detention centers in Social Circle and Oakwood

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) welcomed reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) planned to scrap two detention centers set to house immigrants in Georgia. The plan is for DHS to sell or give away warehouses in Social Circle and Oakwood, Georgia, rather than house thousands of people in these facilities.

Since plans were revealed, Senator Warnock has been a fierce proponent in the fight against these detention centers. In March, the Senator joined Social Circle leaders in voicing opposition to the Trump Administration's efforts to open an ICE detention facility that would have strained local resources with no plan for federal support to alleviate the anticipated harms.

The Senator has also led several efforts to support Social Circle's campaign against the proposed ICE facility, including sending letters to DHS and making a direct appeal to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

More media coverage of Senator Reverend Warnock's comments below:

• WSB Radio: U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock called the decision a victory for the community and credited local activism with helping change the government's plans. "These things that were happening in the quiet of night, we shined a light on it, elevated it, people raised their voices and they got their victory," Warnock said.
  
• Capitol Beat: Both Ossoff and fellow Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock heralded the policy reversal in Social Circle, attributing it to their own efforts as part of a public pressure campaign. "Officials in the Trump administration got nervous because the people stood up and began to speak out," Warnock said in a call with reporters on Friday.
  
• Fox 5: Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff as well as Republicans Rep. Mike Collins were part of the effort to block the protect. "The officials in the Trump/Vance got nervous. The people stood up and began to speak out," Warnock said. Warnock said, "this White House and this administration viewed Social Circle's concerns nothing more than a thorn in their side."
  
• 11 Alive: "They were deeply concerned about this immigration facility," U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock told 11Alive's Grace King. "This would have taken a whole lot of opportunity off of potential tax revenue for that very small town, and it means a lot to those folks. To put it plainly, the officials in the Trump-Vance administration got nervous because the people stood up and began to speak out."
  
• Univision: Tras la decisión del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) de cancelar la construcción de un megacentro de detención para inmigrantes en Social Circle debido a la presión de los residentes, Raphael Warnock, senador federal por Georgia, se pronunció, al respecto. No obstante, la incertidumbre persiste en la ciudad de Oakwood, donde los habitantes aun temen la posible edificacion de uno de estos complejos en su comunidad ante la falta de respuestas por parte de las autoridades.
  
• CBS News: Sen. Raphael Warnock called the development 'a victory for the people of Georgia. When we stand up and speak out, the power of the people is more powerful than the people in power,' Warnock said in a statement Friday. 'I was proud to elevate the concerns of the people of Social Circle and Oakwood over the past four months to pressure administration to backtrack on their dangerous plans.' Warnock said he advocated on behalf of residents despite the communities not being part of his political base. 'The people of Social Circle and Oakwood didn't vote for me, but I still fought for them because I was elected to serve all Georgians,' he said.
  
• USA Today: Warnock, who tried to block the detention facilities during a funding battle in Congress and supported legislation that would require local input and approval for the construction of new detention facilities, celebrated the city's announcement Thursday.

A full recording of the Senator's conversation with reporters on Friday can be found HERE