DHS paid $145 million for Salt Lake ICE warehouse, $48 million more than its worth, property records show
Mar 20, 2026, 6:00 AM
The Salt Lake City warehouse will likely be transformed into a mega-facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. It is reportedly capable of housing 7,500 beds. (Shelby Lofton, KSL)
(Shelby Lofton, KSL)
SALT LAKE CITY — A review of Salt Lake County property records found that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security bought a warehouse in Salt Lake City for $145 million, which is $48 million more than the property is worth.
The warehouse will likely be transformed into a mega-facility for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is reportedly capable of housing 7,500 beds.
Other reading: ‘Sign or stay locked up’: Utah man describes weeks in immigration custody and a decision he didn’t understand
Local leaders have stressed that it doesn’t have the infrastructure set up to house that many people.
It is unclear why DHS paid so much more than the property was worth. KSL’s request for comment has not been returned by ICE.
The building, at 6020 W. 300 South is on a 25-acre parcel of land near Salt Lake City International Airport. Records show it has been valued at $97 million.
According to Building Salt Lake, a non-profit real estate media hub, a large industrial building of this size would normally sell for about $110 dollars per square foot. DHS paid $174 per square foot.
Building Salt Lake also said that the $174 per square foot amount is more than DHS has paid for similar facilities that are supposed to hold between 7,000 and 10,000 people in other states.
Records indicate the warehouse was purchased from a Delaware LLC which is a subsidiary of a German asset management company.
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson was one of the first Utah leaders to express concern when DHS plans were first made known.
My response to a warehouse purchase by the federal government for an ICE Detention Facility near Salt Lake City Airport. pic.twitter.com/sboCyA61ul
— Mayor Jenny Wilson (@SLCoMayor) March 13, 2026
Salt Lake City Councilmember Eva Lopez Chavez called the purchase “deeply alarming,” KSL has previously reported. She is among other city officials asking Utah’s congressional delegation to investigate the detention center plans.
