PRESS RELEASE

The City of Coos Bay is aware of recent public concern regarding the potential development of an ICE detention facility in Coos County. Our inquiry has indicated that there is no current intention of locating such a facility in our County.

The City of Coos Bay has done a comprehensive review of potential impacts, and we have concluded that a federal detention facility is not compatible with the Coos Bay area due to the following reasons: Public safety and municipal service infrastructure, including police, fire, emergency medical response, and code enforcement is at capacity, and is in place to serve the current residential and commercial population. A detention facility would impose significant additional burdens on these systems, diverting resources away from community needs, and creating operational risks and unfunded service demands.

Given that tourism is a foundational economic engine for Coos Bay and the surrounding region, these impacts pose a direct threat to economic vitality. Any detention facility near tourism corridors can create measurable declines in visitor confidence and commercial activity. A detention facility in or near Coos Bay would undermine the City’s tourism-based economy by: diminishing the area’s reputation as a safe and welcoming coastal destination; reduce visitor traffic to waterfront attractions, lodging, and small businesses; create congestion, restricted-access zones, and security-related closures that interfere with recreation and tourism mobility, and discourage private investment in hospitality, retail, and outdoor-recreation sectors. The regional airport plays a critical role in supporting local commerce, passenger travel, forestry, fisheries, and emergency medical transport, and any federal detention facility in this vicinity could disrupt airport operations, create heightened security restrictions, and impede economic development efforts tied to air travel and regional connectivity.

For these reasons, the City of Coos Bay finds that a federal detention facility is incompatible with local infrastructure capacity, economic development priorities, tourism, and community-defined strategic goals. As such, and as the largest city on the Oregon Coast, the City of Coos Bay opposes construction or operation of any federal detention facility within the City, or within the immediate proximity to the city, including within the whole of Coos County.

The City remains firmly committed to supporting development that advances long-term prosperity, safety, and livability for all residents and visitors.

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