The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is currently in negotiations to acquire a warehouse located in Virginia, which is owned by Jim Pattison, a billionaire from British Columbia. The intention is to transform the warehouse into a facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing.
In a letter dated January 21 addressed to officials in Hanover County, Virginia, the Department of Homeland Security expressed its plans to “purchase, occupy and rehabilitate” the approximately 550,000-square-foot warehouse property, which has been under the ownership of Jim Pattison Developments since 2022.
It was stated in the letter that as part of the project, ICE may make modifications to both the exterior and interior of the existing warehouse to include the construction of spaces for holding and processing.
Jim Pattison, a well-known businessman and philanthropist, heads the Jim Pattison Group, a conglomerate with interests in various sectors such as real estate, automotive, media, and retail. Both the Jim Pattison Group and Jim Pattison Developments have not responded to requests for comments on the matter.
The proposed deal has generated criticism, including from the leader of the B.C. Green Party, who is advocating for a boycott of Pattison’s Save-on-Foods grocery stores.
Pattison is among several Canadian companies facing scrutiny for their associations with ICE. Vancouver tech company Hootsuite, for instance, secured a $95,000 US pilot project with ICE in September to monitor social media discussions related to the immigration agency. Additionally, ICE has allocated significant funds for a bulk order of 20 armored vehicles from a defense manufacturer based in Brampton, Ontario, known as Roshel.
In light of ICE’s extensive crackdown on immigration, which has led to fatal incidents involving American citizens, there are growing calls for companies to be transparent about their business partnerships to avoid negative impacts on employee morale and public perception.
Amidst the ongoing controversies, B.C. Green Party leader Emily Lowan has called on Jim Pattison to cut ties with ICE and has urged the public to boycott his grocery stores. Lowan emphasized the need for Canadians to take a stand against activities contributing to crises in the U.S.
The Hanover County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to deliberate on the potential purchase of the warehouse on January 28, with the Department of Homeland Security extending invitations to several tribes for consultation.
