Utah Law Professor Says Federal Property Development Could Face Legal Challenges From Local Governments

5 tools local governments are using to block ICE detention centers

Local governments can’t override federal authority, but they’re leveraging zoning, infrastructure limits and litigation to stop detention projects tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s expansion plans.

Utah law professor says federal property development could face legal challenges from local governments

SALT LAKE CITY As more citizens and leaders speak out against an ICE facility in Salt Lake City, some legal questions are arising.FOX 13 News spoke with a University of Utah law professor, who said the federal government's power to purchase property and develop it as it sees fit potentially overriding local zoning laws is raising significant legal questions.Jenna Prochaska specializes in property and local government law. She said the issue touc…

Salt Lake City mayor asks for urgent meeting with feds over ICE warehouse purchase

A warehouse purchased by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement at 6020 W. 300 South in Salt Lake City is pictured on Friday, March 13, 2026. (McKenzie Romero/Utah News Dispatch)Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Tuesday sent a letter to a top Immigration and Customs Enforcement official asking for a meeting over the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s recent $145.4 million purchase of a warehouse property in the city.  In the letter, …

At Utah Governor’s Mansion, protesters decry ICE detention center planned for Salt Lake City warehouse

Organizers led a St. Patrick’s Day "singing resistance" outside the residence on Tuesday.