Cary residents plan to confront town leaders over reported ICE office expansion - WRAL

People in Cary are expected to question town officials on Thursday about reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is expanding its office space locally.

Activist network Durham Resistance is calling on concerned residents to join the Q&A portion of Thursday's State of Cary Address.

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The call comes after WIRED magazine reported that ICE is expanding its office space across the U.S., including in Cary.

WRAL News has not independently verified that reporting, but Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said in an online blog post that he's received dozens of emails about the potential move.

"At this time, the town has not received any requests or permit applications from ICE.,” Weinbrecht wrote. “However, they could proceed there, and we do not have the authority to stop them."

The building at the center of the possible expansion is at 11000 Regency Parkway. It sits close to Koka Booth Amphitheater and already houses several businesses.

A search of a database on the General Services Administration's website, which manages federal buildings and leases, shows a lease for 25,000 square feet of space at the building that began in October and runs through at least 2030.

A spokesperson for the GSA did not immediately respond to WRAL News’ request for comment.

Bridge Commercial Real Estate manages the Regency Parkway building. A company representative could not identify the government agency using the space, but said the lease was for office use and was not anything beyond "attorneys in suits."

"ICE is not a good friend of ours," said co-founder of activist group Cary Indivisible Steve Glass about the reported expansion. "It's caused an alert that is, perhaps, unfocused because we don't know how related that is going to be to the warehousing of human beings."

Glass is among those petitioning Cary leaders to oppose the reported move.

"The fact that there are so many people in the Cary, in this larger area, that are affected, have petitioned the town, have petitioned other bodies of the government to please stand up. If we don't stand up, we lose," his wife, Martha, said.

In November, Weinbrecht released a statement confirming federal agents' operations in Cary, saying their tactics instill fear in the community. He went on to say that more than a quarter of Cary's citizens are from other countries.

In an email to WRAL News about the possible office space expansion, a town of Cary spokesperson said, "federal agencies have independent authority and will operate in ways that do not require local rezoning or municipal approval."

The reported move would make the Regency Parkway building ICE's second location in Cary.

Weinbrecht is set to give the State of Cary Address at 6 p.m. Thursday.