For months, two neighbours, Democrat Gareth Fenley and conservative John Miller, have been united in the same daily mission. Each morning the two get into their cars and drive several miles down the farm-lined roads of their small Georgia town to an empty one-million square-foot gray warehouse. On arrival, they search meticulously for signs of construction, breathing a sigh of relief each time the massive property appears untouched.
The sprawling industrial warehouse, which the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bought in February, is part of a $38.3bn (£29bn) plan to open up dozens of immigration detention centres across the US. Those plans have faced fierce opposition, not just in Democratic communities, but in conservative towns like Social Circle, which overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in the last election - including his campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
People have different reasons for aligning with the exact same message, Fenley said. That message is: 'Detention centre, not welcome here.' Many who support the president's immigration policies are concerned the facility would starve the small town of critical resources by tripling its population, turning a place once known for its quaint Blue Willow Inn buffet restaurant into a prison town.
City Manager Eric Taylor shut off the water in the warehouse, a move that made this one-stoplight town the unlikely face of resistance to the administration's plans. Taylor expressed, If you open up that water meter, it gives them full access to the entire supply of the whole city. I can't let that happen without knowing what the ultimate impact is going to be.
The plans for a 10,000-person detention centre appear to be on hold as the department signaled it is pausing plans to buy more warehouses like the one in Social Circle. The community remains cautiously optimistic as they continue to advocate for their town, emphasizing both their lack of resources and concerns over human rights issues associated with detention centers. With the future uncertain, the streets of Social Circle are filled with a spirit of resilience and unified opposition.
The sprawling industrial warehouse, which the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bought in February, is part of a $38.3bn (£29bn) plan to open up dozens of immigration detention centres across the US. Those plans have faced fierce opposition, not just in Democratic communities, but in conservative towns like Social Circle, which overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in the last election - including his campaign promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
People have different reasons for aligning with the exact same message, Fenley said. That message is: 'Detention centre, not welcome here.' Many who support the president's immigration policies are concerned the facility would starve the small town of critical resources by tripling its population, turning a place once known for its quaint Blue Willow Inn buffet restaurant into a prison town.
City Manager Eric Taylor shut off the water in the warehouse, a move that made this one-stoplight town the unlikely face of resistance to the administration's plans. Taylor expressed, If you open up that water meter, it gives them full access to the entire supply of the whole city. I can't let that happen without knowing what the ultimate impact is going to be.
The plans for a 10,000-person detention centre appear to be on hold as the department signaled it is pausing plans to buy more warehouses like the one in Social Circle. The community remains cautiously optimistic as they continue to advocate for their town, emphasizing both their lack of resources and concerns over human rights issues associated with detention centers. With the future uncertain, the streets of Social Circle are filled with a spirit of resilience and unified opposition.
