ICE inquiry over potential facility sparks concerns amongst locals | News | theworldlink.com

Shutter Creek Correctional Institution, closed since 2022, was on the list of discussed potential sites for an ICE detention center. The former prison is now headquarters for the Elliot State Research Forest.

Shutter Creek Correctional Institution, closed since 2022, was on the list of discussed potential sites for an ICE detention center. The former prison is now headquarters for the Elliot State Research Forest.

Rumors about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) interest in a detention facility somewhere in Coos County bubbled to the surface last week when County Commissioner Drew Farmer addressed discussions he’d had with contractors during a Facebook live stream on Wednesday, February 24.

While there is currently no indication of a formal proposal being made for such a facility, ICE’s pursuit of land on the coast has been clear since their failed attempt to set up operations at the Newport Municipal Airport late last year. Both citizens and city officials pushed back on this proposal after their resident Coast Guard helicopter was moved to vacate that space.

Farmer’s approach to the situation came off as a practical one, trying to get ahead of potential ICE operations in the area, and direct them to where they would be least impactful on local populations and infrastructure. Though he made his personal opinion on ICE’s tactics clear.

“As folks will already identify, as I mentioned, not a fan of how ICE conducts itself, how it does its operations right now. I think they’re sloppy, poor allocation of resources, wrong people, wrong places,” said Farmer during his livestream. “But if a facility is going to happen in Coos County, how do we manage that situation? It’s already obviously being seriously explored. So, I had a conversation with contractors.”

With the access to runways a priority for this kind of detention center, it is no surprise to hear that Coos County is on the list. Proximity to Southwest Oregon Regional Airport (OTH) centered discussions on three possible sites, according to local sources.

The first involves renovation and lease of the third-floor at the Coos County Jail. The County’s Board of Commissioners, alongside Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio and District Attorney Jody Newby, voiced their desire to avoid cooperation with ICE back in February of 2025, when discussions over whether to comply with detainer requests were held. Though, the jail’s financial struggles and pod closures have been well-documented.

The second possible site is the former Shutter Creek Correctional Facility. Leased to the state from the federal government, the minimum-security state prison was closed in 2022. That lease was maintained when it transferred to the Oregon Department of State Lands in 2023, transitioning the facility into a headquarters for Elliot State Research Forest. That would likely rule this out at a possible site.

The third is a roughly 30-acre, federally-owned parcel of land just outside of Lakeside. Farmer identified this as the most tolerable of the three given it’s the furthest removed from population density, and potential kickbacks that will help with Lakeside’s budget. However, even if it were to be built, the facility would be temporary at best. Nationwide, these detention centers would likely not survive the next administration, if they even make it past this year’s midterms.

Calling ICE’s detention and deportation tactics controversial would go without saying. Reports on these detention centers across the country point to inhumane conditions, with ICE refusing proper oversight from legislators and local officials. An influx of both detainees and ICE agents, as well as any protests in response to their presence, would put a strain on local law enforcement and aging infrastructure.

The City’s of North Bend and Lakeside held special meetings in executive session on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, last week. Officials at the City of Lakeside were reached out to for comment, but neither City has released an official statement at the time of writing.

Farmer would later take down his Facebook video citing a lack of clarity causing panic amongst the community. He communicated intent to provide that clarity through written communication sometime soon. In the comments, he tried to provide some peace of mind to those who felt a facility was imminent, stating that he got jumpy and the “threat was gone”.

“I talked to [Congresswoman] Val Hoyle earlier, it’s my understanding that [border czar] Tom Homan has told her that there is no plan to put a detention facility in Oregon,” wrote Farmer. Commenters expressed their lack of faith that Homan is being honest.

Oregon has been classified as a sanctuary state since the 80’s, with local officials prohibited from assisting in federal deportation operations.

The World is committed to following any further developments around an ICE facility and operations in the Coos County area. Please reach out with your thoughts on the matter at TheWorldLink.com.