By The Canadian Press

ICE wants to buy Pattison building in Virginia to use for ‘holding and processing’

Jan 26, 2026 | 12:25 PM

VANCOUVER — The United States Department of Homeland Security is planning to buy a building owned by the property arm of Vancouver-based conglomerate Jim Pattison Group to use as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement “processing facility.”

The department sent a letter to the Hanover County planning department in Hanover, Va., last Wednesday, sharing its intent to “purchase, occupy and rehabilitate” the warehouse property.

Property records show Jim Pattison Developments bought the building for roughly C$10.4 million in 2022 and the site is expected to be valued at around C$69 million this year, following improvements.

The Jim Pattison Group and Jim Pattison Developments did not immediately return requests for comment.

An archived web page from the latter shows the company advertised the 43.5-acre site with a 550,000-square-foot industrial warehouse facility for lease in 2024.

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In its letter, the U.S. department said it intended to make modifications to the property that include construction, equipment and security upgrades.

“The interior of the structure may be renovated or rebuilt to support ICE operational requirements, which may include but are not limited to construction of holding and processing spaces, office space, public-facing visitor spaces, and installation of amenities, such as cafeterias, bathrooms, and health-care spaces,” it said.

Other additions could include “tentage and a guard shack,” the letter said.

The activities of ICE have come under criticism amid a crackdown in Minneapolis, in which two people have been shot dead by its officers.

In a press release last Thursday, Hanover County said it did “not initiate” the project and was told by Homeland Security that it had 30 days to respond to the letter.

The department said it invited several federally recognized tribes to participate in a “consultation” regarding the planned purchase.

Emily Lowan, leader of the Green Party of B.C., said in a post on social media that billionaire Jimmy Pattison’s businesses should be boycotted over the pending sale.

“This is a stark reminder of how the billionaire class aids and abets fascist forces,” she said the Instagram post on Sunday.

U.S. procurement records show another Vancouver-based company, HootSuite, is providing social media services to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2026.

Marissa Birnie, The Canadian Press