1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

1. "Roxbury/NJ doesn’t have a reason to sue yet." DHS argues the town is jumping the gun. Since the facility isn't actually open or running yet, any problems like traffic or water shortages are just guesses about the future, not real problems happening right now. NINJA’s Response: DHS's response drastically underestimates the proposed 1500 detainees and uses 542 as the “magic number” of detainees to be held at Roxbury. This number has been used in every lawsuit response to date. We are not sure where this 542 number is coming from, but we believe it to be understated and an outright lie. 2. "DHS/ICE followed the rules." The town says DHS skipped environmental reviews and didn't consult local leaders. DHS’s response: Regarding the Environment: We’re just fixing the roof, putting up a fence, and changing lightbulbs. You don’t need a massive environmental study just to do basic repairs. Regarding the Town: The law requires us to consider the town’s opinion as we plan, which we are doing now. We were not required to ask permission before we actually bought the building. NINJA Response: Firstly, we do not believe the government's simplified retrofitting outlined in the response. Once they get their foot in the door, they will retrofit however they see fit, with or without approvals. It is VERY interesting to note that the government’s response indicates that a 3 page “plan” was sent to the Morris County Planning and Zoning Board on February 24, 2026. This begs the question: Did Roxbury Township officials review the DHS plan sent to Morris County Officials? Of course they did!! Given the township’s lack of transparency and action, it is entirely reasonable to believe that Roxbury officials received this plan and chose to do NOTHING with it. The plan provides detailed actions DHS plans to take both inside and outside the building. Example: DHS plans to install a “prison-style” security fence around the facility. As NINJA, SVB, and other local activists and residents have urged in the past, the township should be drafting and passing zoning laws and moratoriums to prohibit any and all retrofitting and/or construction. Would it be so difficult to pass a moratorium that the Township of Roxbury FORBIDS 16-18 ft securing fencing with razor/barbed wire within the township? No, of course it is not difficult. The bottom line is that the Town Council does not WANT to. They do not want to do anything outside of passing their empty resolution to "oppose" a detention center in Roxbury. See Pages 13 - 17 for the plan sent to the Morris County Planning and Zoning Board 3. "No one is getting hurt right now." The town is asking the judge to stop everything immediately to prevent "irreparable harm." The government says that’s dramatic because no detainees are moving in yet. They’ve promised to finish more studies before the building actually opens, so there’s no immediate emergency that requires a judge to step in. NINJA Response: We absolutely do not agree that no one is getting hurt right now. ICE’s brutality, cruelty, and inhumanity have been proven without a shadow of a doubt. Furthermore, we absolutely do not believe that detainees will be moved in until “further studies are done.” We’re long past believing their lies. 4. "Stopping us is dangerous for the country." DHS is playing the "big picture" card. They argue that there are hundreds of thousands of people in the area waiting to be deported, and they desperately need this space for ICE to do its job. In their view, public safety is more important than the town’s concerns about local traffic, infrastructure, or any other reasons stated in the lawsuit. NINJA Response: DHS response cites that there are 351,008 individuals with final deportation orders, including 11,568 with a criminal record and 13,325 with a pending criminal record. The response also indicates that NJ will be responsible for housing an undisclosed number of the over 1,000,000 NYC residents scheduled for deportation. These numbers are in direct conflict with this administration's statement to deport the “worst of the worst” criminals. 5. The "Security Bond." DHS essentially told the judge: If you do make us stop working, the town should have to put up a large cash deposit. This is to ensure that if the building gets vandalized or the roof leaks while the project is frozen, the town—not DHS—pays for the damages. NINJA Response: DHS seeks to further damage Roxbury financially by threatening to impose a bond (insurance) to seek reimbursement from the township for any damages due to vandalism or weather! Since when is the town of Roxbury responsible for weather damage to any building it does not own??