There are many examples of federal land being turned over to the ownership of states or localities. One recent example of this in D.C. was the decision to transfer land ownership of the RFK Jr. Memorial Stadium Campus from the federal government to the District. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton was the one to kick start this process by introducing the bill to Congress. 

Furthermore, even St. Elizabeth’s, the very campus this headquarters is supposed to be built, has undergone such a process. Back in 1987, the St. Elizabeth’s East Campus was transferred from federal to District ownership. We are demanding the same decision be made for St. Elizabeths West Campus today so the land can be used for community needs.

Demanding the cancellation of this HQ is a big task, but not impossible. At the start of 2026, we saw what happens when people come together to fight back against ICE. In Minneapolis, the Trump administration unleashed ICE terror on immigrant communities through Operation Metro Surge. But the people of Minneapolis did not sit idly by while their communities were being ripped apart. They stood up and developed neighborhood defense systems, took to the streets in powerful demonstrations, and even orchestrated two major citywide general strikes. In response, the Trump administration had to dramatically scale back ICE’s presence, remove Greg Bovino as Customs and Border Protection lead, and began to seek a tone of retreat. Only through a movement of independent and grassroots people power could this response be yielded.

Already, this ICE HQ has proven to be a waste of money, with the project years behind schedule. Here in D.C., we have the opportunity to band together to create mass pressure on this agency that is immensely unpopular across the country by spoiling their plans to build a headquarters. At a time when even establishment politicians are pressured to call for the abolition of ICE, it is fully within the realm of possibility that the people of D.C. can defeat the construction of a wasteful and unpopular project.

We cannot roll over and let such a massive development take place in our city without a fight. Giving up without a fight fails to honor the lives taken and destroyed by ICE terror, and it diminishes the power of the people of D.C. as a whole. If we don’t fight, there is no chance of winning. History shows that it is people power that truly makes change. With this headquarters, the people of D.C. have a role to play by pushing history forward and joining the nationwide movement to end ICE terror.

Our council members are elected to represent us, the residents of D.C. If D.C. residents have a concern about such a facility being built, the council should address this concern instead of remaining silent. Ultimately, it is on the people to raise our concerns and protect not only a democratic approach to land development, but preserving D.C. Home Rule. 

And the D.C. Council is not powerless, it can use its leverage against the federal government if it is willing to do so. Most recently, the D.C. Council has stood its ground on preserving its own tax code instead of the Trump proposed code.

There is no indication that construction of the ICE HQ in particular has begun on this site. Clark Construction expects a completion date of 2027, but existing delays indicate otherwise.

The timeline of this project demonstrates it is already being dragged out. We have the opportunity to delay, if not permanently halt this project altogether:  

• 2004: Work began to consolidate a DHS campus on St. Elizabeth’s West Campus 

• 2007: DHS headquarters was officially announced

• 2009: In response to the 2008 financial crisis, the Obama administration passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, allotting $200M to the consolidation of the campus

• 2023: The Biden administration passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which included another $288M in funding for the project

• 2024: A contract was awarded to Clark Construction for this development

We should understand this HQ to be a central node in coordinating ICE terror nationwide. ICE is currently buying up warehouses around the US in preparation to detain thousands, potentially millions of people. The consolidation of an ICE HQ will only bolster their capabilities as an agency. Regardless of what types of DHS employees are housed in this HQ, this will be a militarized site in Southeast D.C., a part of the city that is already heavily surveilled and terrorized by local police. 

Additionally, there are examples all over the country of ICE office space being used to hold people for weeks at a time in squalid conditions and without access to their lawyers or families. One of these examples has taken place in the DMV area. In 2025, immigrant rights lawyers and advocates reported that up to 100 people were held at the Chantilly, Virginia ICE office in a “makeshift holding cell”. 

This is a great question that we are asking, too! This campus for DHS has been in the works for nearly 20 years but has faced continuous delays over the years, and little to no accountability. In 2014, there was renewed interest in the project when DHS and GSA requested more funding, which raised concern about the viability of the project, leading some members of Congress to consider scrapping the project altogether. Nevertheless, in 2023, the Biden administration then allotted even more funding to the development. 

Now in 2026, given the past year of escalating attacks on our communities by ICE under the Trump administration, the No ICE HQ in D.C. campaign is raising awareness about this development, despite a lack of reporting. There is a new level of urgency to advocate for the cancellation of this project now! Not only is it a waste of money, but will only produce more terror and fear on the streets of D.C. and nationwide.

Yes, ICE has a field office in Southwest D.C. and DHS has a larger campus in Northwest D.C. along with other buildings spread out across the city – demonstrating that a new headquarters is truly unnecessary!