Billionaire Trump supporter blocks sale of Texas warehouse for use as ICE jail

Rumors of an ICE detention center in a town in Texas have prompted a declarative response from a billionaire Trump supporter. The centers have been compared to concentration camps.

As rumors swirled that ICE was eyeing warehouse properties with the aim of creating new detention facilities—an expansion of the now-defunct “Alligator Alcatraz” or the camps that separated immigrant families during President Donald Trump’s first term—billionaire Edward Roski Jr. stood firm. 

Yes, the Department of Homeland Security had approached his company, Majestic Realty, to sell a 1-million-square-foot facility that could hold up to 9,500 beds, Roski confirmed. But no, this deal was not going to happen—and nor will any deal like it at his company. 

“Majestic Realty Co. has not and will not enter into any agreement for the purchase or lease of any building to the Department of Homeland Security for use as a detention facility,” the company said, adding that they “look forward to continuing our work to find a buyer or lease tenant that will help drive economic growth.”

The Los Angeles–based real estate company is owned by Roski, who is estimated to be worth $7 billion and is co-owner of the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Crypto.com Arena. He is also a longtime Republican who donated a total of $...