So ICE pays $130 million to Russian-born, Andrey Sharkov, for a warehouse worth $30 million. Nothing to see here. Social Circle community unites against plan to use warehouse for ICE detention atlpresscollective.com/2026/01/09/s...
— James Horn (@schools-matter24.bsky.social) February 18, 2026 at 8:19 AM
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From Social Circle, Georgia:
Financial details surrounding the sale of a warehouse in Social Circle to the United States government have been made available.
According to a deed obtained by reporters, the U.S. government paid $128,555,500 to PNK S1, LLC to purchase a 235-acre lot at 1365 East Hightower Trail. The lot currently contains a warehouse that is expected to be used as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility. The facility could house 5,000-10,000 detainees, which could effectively triple the population of Social Circle.
In a PT-61 tax form – a tax form used for real-estate transfers — dated Feb. 3, the intended use of the property was listed as “commercial.”
As the new owners of the property, the federal government will not be subject to many of the conditions that private owners are, such as property taxes. At the site’s inception in 2022, Social Circle officials estimated it could bring close to $1 million in annual property tax revenue.
They are also not subject to any local or state zoning laws, meaning that the planned detention center facility does not have to adhere to laws set by the Social Circle City Council or Planning Commission.
The sale comes nearly three years after PNK purchased the property for $29,392,500 from Walton Leaf LLC in 2023, according to tax records. In 2024, the property was valued by the Walton County Tax Assessor’s Office at $3,294,000. However, that number jumped to $29,786,800 in 2025 as the warehouse neared completion.
This means that the federal government paid PNK nearly $100 million more than the 2025 assessment.
Talks of the PNK warehouse becoming an ICE detention center first began in December 2025 when The Washington Post reported that the federal government was eyeing the site in Social Circle. On Feb. 4, the City of Social Circle posted on its Facebook page that the federal government was in the process of purchasing the property.
In the post — which included information given to the city by the Office of 10th Congressional District Representative Mike Collins — the city said that the Department of Homeland Security had already begun evaluating the site.
However, city officials have remained insistent that they have not been directly contacted by the federal government despite numerous attempts to contact them.
On Feb. 8, the city said it was informed by “multiple sources” that the sale had been completed.
The sale has drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff has released multiple statements, including one with Social Circle Mayor David Keener, expressing his opposition to the facility.
Collins added that while he supported ICE’s mission, he was also concerned that the facility would place a strain on the city’s infrastructure.
Local officials from Social Circle, Newton and Walton Counties have all opposed the implementation of the facility. Several other local activist groups and citizens have even held protests throughout recent weeks.
Despite this, it appears that the ICE facility will be implemented as planned. Detainees could start being housed at the facility as soon as April, according to the city’s Feb. 4 Facebook post.
Tennessee "No details about the size, scope, purchase price or street address of the facility in Lebanon, about 30 miles east of Nashville, were immediately made available Friday, and news of the purchase took state and local officials by surprise..." tennesseelookout.com/2026/02/13/i...
— Rachel Maddow (@maddow.bsky.social) February 16, 2026 at 1:01 PM
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$38 billion for U.S. concentration camps? In 2009, the Feds offered $3.2 billion for all the nation’s 90,000 schools to fight for in the Race to the Top. This fascist fever dream can’t happen if states and cities say NO! www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
— James Horn (@schools-matter24.bsky.social) February 14, 2026 at 8:06 AM
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CLEMMONS: “Please be aware — They’re trying to hide this data.” @jrclemmons.bsky.social calls out Republicans for killing McKenzie’s bill to require @GovBillLee to tell us how many voucher kids were already in private schools aka “WELFARE FOR THE WEALTHY” And now they want to double it
— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 4:53 PM
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Neo-nazi MAGAts are all-in on HIE (Homogeneity, Inequality, Exclusion) aurn.com/black-farmer...
— James Horn (@schools-matter24.bsky.social) February 6, 2026 at 7:59 AM
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Will Tennesseans soon be subject to the dictates of Trump's right-hand nazi, Stephen Miller? If TN House Speaker, Cameron Sexton has his way, that will be case after the current legislative session. Sustain Resistance! @philinvestigates.com @aclutn.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
— James Horn (@schools-matter24.bsky.social) February 4, 2026 at 8:18 AM
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