A quiet Walton County town is at the center of a growing national controversy after the federal government completed the purchase of a large warehouse to be converted into one of the largest immigration detention facilities in the country.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security finalized the purchase of a warehouse at 1365 E. Hightower Trail in Social Circle, Georgia on February 3, 2026, paying $128,555,500 to previous owner PNK S1 LLC for the 235 acre property, according to real estate documents obtained from the Walton County Superior Court Clerk's office and first reported by the Covington News. The facility is expected to house between 7,500 and 10,000 detainees ahead of deportation proceedings — a number that would more than double the entire population of Social Circle which sits at approximately 5,000 residents, according to the City of Social Circle's official statements.
How It Happened
Social Circle city officials say they were caught off guard by the federal purchase. According to a Facebook post published by the City of Social Circle, the city first learned of the proposal in late December 2025 when the Washington Post reported that the federal government was eyeing several warehouse properties nationwide for large scale detention facilities. City officials were then informed on February 4 by Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia's 10th Congressional District that the property was in escrow and moving toward final purchase, according to the city's official statement. The sale closed just days later on February 3, 2026.
"A proposed ICE detention facility is not right for Social Circle, and the City of Social Circle does not support it," Social Circle Mayor David Keener said in a joint statement with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, published on Senator Ossoff's official website.
New Details Emerge After City Meets With DHS
In a significant development as recently as February 19, 2026, the City of Social Circle met with Department of Homeland Security officials who provided new details about the facility for the first time. According to information shared publicly by the city following that meeting, the detention center will use a modular design allowing capacity to be scaled between 7,500 and 10,000 detainees depending on need.
DHS officials indicated the facility will include holding areas, indoor and outdoor recreational spaces, court facilities, intake areas, cafeterias, laundry facilities, on site health services, and a gun range, according to the City of Social Circle's official statement. The facility is also projected to employ between 2,000 and 2,500 staff members, though local officials have expressed skepticism about where those jobs would actually come from and who would fill them. Source: The Covington News, February 19, 2026.
This meeting marks the first direct communication between city officials and federal authorities since the sale was completed, raising questions about why local leaders were not consulted before the purchase was finalized.
Local Opposition
Opposition to the facility has come from both sides of the political aisle — an unusual show of unity in an otherwise divided political climate. City officials, county commissioners, and residents have all raised concerns about the facility's impact on the community.
Newton County District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long has been among the most vocal local voices opposing the project, according to reporting by the Covington News. CJ Lester Investigates has reached out to Commissioner Long for an interview and is awaiting her response.
The primary concern raised by local officials is infrastructure. Social Circle's water and sewer system was simply not built to support a population three times the size of the city. City Manager Eric Taylor stated publicly in an interview with the Covington News that the city's infrastructure cannot handle the demands a facility of this scale would place on it.
In addition to infrastructure concerns residents told Georgia Public Broadcasting that the facility sits less than a mile from a brand new elementary school, raising serious questions about the safety and character of the surrounding neighborhood. Real estate agents in Social Circle have also reported that residents have already begun listing their homes for sale out of concern that the facility will turn their community into what some are calling a prison town, according to Georgia Public Broadcasting.
The Price Tag
The purchase price has raised significant eyebrows among residents and observers. According to tax records reported by the Covington News, the Walton County Tax Assessor valued the property at $29,786,800 in 2025 — meaning the federal government paid nearly $100 million over the assessed value. No federal official has publicly explained the justification for that price.
It is also worth noting that in 2023 PNK S1 LLC purchased the same property for just $29,392,500 from Walton Leaf LLC according to tax records. This means PNK more than quadrupled its investment in less than three years when it sold to the federal government. CJ Lester Investigates is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this purchase price.
What Comes Next
Despite widespread local opposition the sale is final. As reported by the Covington News, the federal government is not subject to local or state zoning laws meaning Social Circle city officials have no legal authority to block the facility through local planning processes. Operations at the facility could begin as early as April 2026 according to the City of Social Circle's official February 4 Facebook statement.
U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock has proposed legislation to block federal funding for the facility, according to Capital B News Atlanta, but its prospects in the current Congress remain uncertain.
What CJ Lester Investigates Is Doing
This is not the end of this story — it is just the beginning. CJ Lester Investigates has filed Open Records requests with Walton County and the City of Social Circle seeking all communications between local officials and federal agencies regarding this facility. We have also reached out to the Walton County Sheriff's Office and the Social Circle Police Department for comment on the law enforcement implications of a facility of this size and what resources they would need to respond to it.
We have additionally reached out to Newton County District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long for an interview about the regional impact of this facility on surrounding communities.
This story will be updated as new documents, interviews, and developments become available. If you have information about this story or a news tip contact CJ Lester confidentially at cj@cjlesterinvestigates.com or call 470-360-6571. All tips are confidential.
Sources: Walton County Superior Court Clerk's Office — property deed records The Covington News — purchase price, infrastructure reporting, and DHS meeting details City of Social Circle official statements and Facebook posts — socialcirclega.gov Senator Jon Ossoff official website — joint statement with Mayor Keener Georgia Public Broadcasting — elementary school proximity and community reaction Capital B News Atlanta — Senator Warnock proposed legislation
CJ Lester Investigates is an independent journalism outlet covering Newton, Rockdale, and Walton Counties and the State of Georgia. Subscribe for free at cjlesterinvestigates.substack.com
Add comment
Comments