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Ritchie Group Denies Plans to Sell West Salt Lake Warehouse for ICE Facility

City officials say the warehouse lacks required infrastructure for detention use.

Overview

  • The Ritchie Group said it has no plans to sell or lease the 1197 N. 6880 W. property to the federal government, issuing its first public statement after a week of rumors and a Jan. 16 protest.
  • Federal agencies have not confirmed interest in the site, and DHS and ICE did not respond to new requests for comment.
  • Mayor Erin Mendenhall told the owner the building is not up to detention-code standards and that local water and sewer capacity would not support a large-scale operation.
  • Gov. Spencer Cox said he has not been contacted about a specific facility but would support an ICE detention center in Utah and noted the state previously offered properties for processing.
  • At the Legislature, Sen. Nate Blouin dropped a proposed local-approval requirement tied to such a facility, and his narrowed bill was later defeated by Senate Republicans.