The Trump administration is advancing plans to convert massive, Amazon-style warehouses into “mega detention centers” run directly by ICE. These facilities would hold thousands of immigrants at a time and are being scouted for locations in southern U.S. states — including near major deportation airports, like those in California.

While no sites in California have been officially announced, the state’s proximity to the border and history of immigration enforcement make it a likely candidate. We must act now to prevent California from being part of this next chapter in mass detention.

According to DHS officials, the goal is to purchase and retrofit oversized warehouses originally built for companies like Amazon, turning them into ICE-run facilities that bypass traditional oversight. These mega-centers would be government-owned, not contracted out, and designed for large-scale detainment and rapid deportation.

This model is not just harmful, it is dehumanizing. These are buildings meant for packages, not people. Turning industrial spaces into holding sites for families, asylum seekers, and long-term residents sends a terrifying message: that immigrants are inventory to process, not human beings with rights and dignity.

We call on:

• Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta to publicly oppose any mega detention centers in California
• California’s state legislature to pass legislation banning warehouse-style ICE detention facilities in the state
• Local leaders, especially in border cities like San Diego, to refuse cooperation or zoning approvals for any such facility

California has declared itself a sanctuary state. We must now live up to that promise. These mega detention centers represent a massive escalation in federal immigrant detention, and California should have no part in it.

Sign this petition to keep warehouse-style ICE detention centers out of our communities. California must say no.

Photo:  Forbes