ROXBURY - The report about a possible ICE facility here popped up on Christmas Eve and, if you pardon the hyperbole, things in this town in western Morris County have not been the same.

About 60 people showed up this week at the council's end of year meeting - normally a sleepy affair - and a protest is set for Saturday.

Before anyone even spoke - and all who did condemned the idea - Mayor Shawn Potillo read a statement, attempting to calm things down.

The bottom line:

Town officials have been told nothing. Moreover, neither have county and state officials.

This, in fact, may turn out to be nothing, or just an erroneous or unfulfilled proposal. But here is what people know.

A Washington Post story on Dec. 24 said that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is considering a significant expansion of its detention system. And that would include 16 "processing sites" nationwide, including one in Roxbury, N.J. These centers could hold up to 1,500 detainees.

That's all.

The story cautioned that this is a draft proposal, suggesting that the plan can change, or not happen at all.

Nonetheless, just the concept was enough to bring people - not all of whom were township residents - to a Dec. 30 council meeting.

The mayor and council did not engage with the speakers, or answer direct questions. They let the mayor's statement speak for itself.

First to speak was Shelly Morningstar of nearby Mount Olive who strongly opposed "warehousing human beings." She noted that the township has many immigrant business owners.
A township resident raised the spectre of masked ICE agents chasing individuals down the street.

Another resident wondered if the federal government could just do what it wanted, or if it would try to persuade the township by offering money.

Generally speaking, the federal government can develop what it wants, but given the fact some ICE centers are privately-run, that could complicate things.
The township council is all-Republican, which could make them sympathetic to the immigration aims of the Trump Administration. Still, holding ICE detainees in town is a different matter.

Here's an analogy for you. Many local officials want to put "bad guys" in jail, but that doesn't mean they'd want a state prison in their town.

As noted, a protest against the "ICE plan for warehouse prisons" is set for 11 a.m. Saturday near Ledgewood Historic Park.

What comes next likely will depend on what happens to this draft plan.

In his statement, the mayor did stress that the township is committed to public safety.

An email to the office of Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr., who represents Roxbury in the House, has so far not prompted a response.