Rally against ICE detention facility among concerned residents in Social Circle | 11alive.com

MONROE, Ga. — Some concerned citizens are taking a stand against a proposed ICE detention center in Social Circle. More than 100 people attended a rally outside Walton County's Historic Courthouse in Monroe Sunday opposing the facility.

The Department of Homeland Security wants the former warehouse it purchased recently to be one of eight "mega centers" across the country.

The theme of the afternoon's rally was, “Let’s make it clear: detention center not welcome here.”

.Many people held signs, some specifically opposed the detention center, other signs opposed ICE as a whole.

Gareth Fenley is the Co-Leader of Indivisible Bodly Blue, the group that organized the rally.

She said she’s met with people in support of, and against ICE’s mission, who both agree Social Circle is the wrong spot for this facility.

“There are a lot of people in this area who support the mission of ICE as a whole, but they believe that this detention center is in the wrong place for a lot of reasons, and then there’s a lot of people who believe that what’s going on in detention centers has human rights problems or who oppose ICE," Fenley said.

The center would hold up to 10,000 people.

Several speakers addressed Sunday's crowd, including 50501 Georgia Board Member Lisa Wohlrab.

"Social Circle’s a little town, I come from a little town in Georgia, Harlem," Wohlrab said. "And, a, the infrastructure’s not there to support a facility that's gonna house 10,000 people, in addition, the people of Social Circle don’t want it here."

City officials estimate the facility will open around mid-May or June.