Oklahomans Won the Battle Against ICE, but Not the War
A warehouse purchased by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement at 6020 W. 300 South in Salt Lake City is pictured on Friday, March 13, 2026. (McKenzie Romero/Utah News Dispatch)
On December 23rd, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to the Oklahoma City Planning Department regarding the purchase of a large warehouse, specifically to confirm and inform that the purchase would not be impacting historic property. (OKC, 2026) This unassuming warehouse at 2800 S. Council Road became the center of Oklahoma’s fight against ICE. Slated to detain up to 1,500 people at a time (Ramos, 2026), the facility would have greatly expanded ICE’s criminal operations within the OKC area and the state as a whole. The initial response from the Oklahoma City Government was that the Constitution forbids them from rejecting the private dealings between the warehouse owner and the federal government. (OKC, 2026) This begs the question: What is law against lawlessness? When faced with the dilemma of ensuring the safety of human beings and upholding the same laws that are used to oppress the workers, the bourgeois governments will always choose the status quo over the safety of its people. It was made clear; the city government would not stop DHS from creating a concentration camp within the heart of Oklahoma.
On January 27 2026, the Oklahoma City Council called for a public hearing regarding the purchase by DHS. The halls were flooded with opponents to the detention center. One at a time for over three hours, united front groups, Hispanic advocacy groups, and other civil coalitions from central Oklahoma testified against the DHS purchase. (Siatkowski & Pfeifer, 2026) Just two days later on January 29th, Mayor Holt announced on Twitter that he met with the owners of the warehouse himself, saying “the owners of the property at 2800 S. Council confirmed to me this morning that they are no longer engaged with the Department of Homeland Security about a potential acquisition or lease of this property,” adding further that “I ask every single property owner in Oklahoma City [to] exhibit the same concern for our community in the days ahead.” (Holt, 2026) Mayor Holt points the finger to the “bad capitalist” rather than asking the question, Why is it the decision of property owners whether or not there’s a detention center in our city? Capitalists will sell the lives of human beings without a second thought. It is only through action and the complete abolition of the capitalist class that this threat to the safety of the workers can be expunged.
The purpose of the hearing wasn’t to convince the council on something they already knew, it was to tell the property owners that they will become responsible by the community for the blood spilt within that warehouse. Without the agitation of the workers, this would not have been successful. We, the workers, must remember that these small victories are ultimately concessions rather than change. We can celebrate the removal of a cyst, but the cancer runs much deeper.
It will take a complete revolution, the total emancipation of the working class, to see the roots of ICE pulled out and an end to ICE terror!
Statement from the city of OKC about proposed processing center | City of OKC. OKC.GOV. (2026, January 20). https://www.okc.gov/News-articles/Statement-from-the-City-of-OKC-about-proposed-processing-center
Ramos, L. (2026, January 21). Federal authorities prepare to turn warehouse into Immigration Processing Center in southwest OKC. KGOU. https://www.kosu.org/politics/2026-01-21/federal-authorities-prepare-to-turn-warehouse-into-immigration-processing-center-in-southwest-okc
Siatkowski, A., & Pfeifer, S. (2026, January 29). OKC warehouse no longer being considered for ice detention center. KOSU. https://www.kosu.org/local-news/2026-01-29/okc-warehouse-no-longer-being-considered-for-ice-detention-center
Holt, D [@davidfholt] (2026, January 29) The owners of the property at 2800 S. Council confirmed to me this morning that they are no longer engaged with the Department of Homeland Security about a potential acquisition or lease of this property. I commend the owners for their decision and thank them on behalf of the people of Oklahoma City. As Mayor, I ask that every single property owner in Oklahoma City exhibit the same concern for our community in the days ahead. [Post]https://x.com/davidfholt/status/2016924230680469544?s=20