U.S. Homeland Security moves to buy Pattison-owned Virginia warehouse for ICE processing
Homeland Security told Hanover County it plans to buy a Jim Pattison Group warehouse in Virginia for use as an ICE processing and holding facility, prompting local and corporate scrutiny.
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By Torontoer Staff
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has notified Hanover County, Virginia, that it intends to buy a 43.5-acre industrial site owned by the Jim Pattison Group’s property arm to convert into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing and holding facility.
Jim Pattison Developments purchased the warehouse in 2022 for about C$10.4 million. County records and the department’s letter indicate the property, which includes a 550,000-square-foot building, would be rehabilitated and upgraded if the sale proceeds.
What Homeland Security says it will do
In a letter to the Hanover County planning department, Homeland Security said it intends to "purchase, occupy and rehabilitate" the warehouse. The department outlined planned renovations and security work to adapt the interior to ICE operational needs.
- Renovation or rebuilding of interior spaces for holding and processing
- Office space and public-facing visitor areas
- Installation of amenities, such as cafeterias, bathrooms, and health-care spaces
- Security upgrades and possible exterior additions, including tentage and a guard shack
The interior of the structure may be renovated or rebuilt to support ICE operational requirements, which may include but are not limited to construction of holding and processing spaces, office space, public-facing visitor spaces, and installation of amenities, such as cafeterias, bathrooms, and health-care spaces.
Department of Homeland Security letter
Local authorities and consultations
Hanover County says it did not initiate the project. County officials were given 30 days to respond to the notice and have scheduled a board of supervisors meeting to consider next steps. The agenda notes the board will consult lawyers about zoning and federal government uses.
Homeland Security also said it invited several federally recognized tribes to participate in consultation related to the planned purchase. The federal government is required to engage with tribes on projects that may affect cultural or historic resources.
Public criticism and planned protests
The potential sale has drawn criticism from political and activist groups in Canada and the United States. Emily Lowan, leader of the Green Party of British Columbia, called for a boycott of Pattison businesses in a social media post.
This is a stark reminder of how the billionaire class aids and abets fascist forces.
Emily Lowan, Green Party of B.C.
A protest is planned outside the Vancouver headquarters of Hootsuite on Friday. The group Democracy Rising is urging the company to end contracts with Homeland Security and to apologise publicly.
Our concern isn’t whether or not ICE is technically complying with software terms. It’s whether continuing to provide services to an agency engaged in widespread civil rights violations is responsible, whether to profit off of these atrocities, to profit off of repression is ethical.
Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon, co-founder of Democracy Rising
Corporate ties under scrutiny
U.S. procurement records show a contract that would have Homeland Security use the Hootsuite social media management platform, via New York-based Seneca Strategic Partners, for up to US$2.8 million. Hootsuite, which is based in Vancouver, declined to comment and reportedly turned away a Canadian Press reporter at its headquarters.
The Jim Pattison Group and Jim Pattison Developments did not respond to requests for comment about the property sale. An archived listing shows the company marketed the site for lease in 2024.
Context and implications
The move comes as ICE faces heightened criticism over enforcement operations in Minneapolis, where federal actions were linked to the fatal shootings of two people. The planned purchase, and the public response to it, highlight the broader debate about private-sector involvement with U.S. immigration enforcement.
Property records show Pattison Developments paid roughly C$10.4 million in 2022. The site’s value is expected to rise to about C$69 million this year after planned improvements, underscoring the scale of the investment the department is proposing.
Next steps
Hanover County’s board of supervisors will meet to review legal and zoning implications. Federal officials have a limited response window for the county notice. Activists in Vancouver and elsewhere are planning demonstrations while companies named in procurement records face public pressure to explain their roles.
As the sale process proceeds, questions about local consultation, corporate responsibility and the operational details of the facility will shape public discussion. Responses from the Jim Pattison Group and Hootsuite remain outstanding.
ICEHomeland SecurityJim Pattison GroupHootsuiteHanover County
