New Jersey sues over migrant detention centre

The state of New Jersey on Friday sued the Trump administration over plans to build a federal immigration detention centre. The lawsuit follows a similar move by Maryland, which is also seeking to halt construction of a comparable facility.

Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport filed the case against the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), aiming to prevent a vacant warehouse from being converted into a facility for up to 1,500 detainees.

According to New Jersey officials, the federal government intends to proceed without adequately addressing concerns over water supply, sanitation and public safety. The state also argues that environmental factors and the site’s suitability for detention have not been properly considered.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

Trump has focused on tightening immigration policy since returning to the White House, including increasing arrests, detentions and deportations of migrants. His administration plans to invest more than $38 billion in detention facilities in the coming year, raising total capacity to around 92,600 beds nationwide.

(reuters, max)