Jim Pattison Developments, which has come under fire over the planned sale of a warehouse in Virginia to U.S. Homeland Security to be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, says the sale is still subject to approval.
The company also says that it did not know the building’s intended use as an ICE detention centre at the time it agreed to sell the property, only finding out later.
The potential sale of the building — at 11525 Lakeridge Parkway in Ashland, Virginia — has led to a call for a boycott from the head of B.C.’s Green party given the recent fatal shootings involving ICE in Minnesota.
Minnesotans have been rallying in the streets after
and killed Renee Good on Jan. 7, and then Alex Pretti on Saturday. A makeshift memorial at the site where Pretti was shot in Minneapolis continues to grow bigger.
In an emailed statement, the company says in early 2024, Jim Pattison Developments completed construction of an industrial building in Ashland for company operations.
When operating needs changed, the property was publicly listed for lease or sale, and an offer was accepted to sell the building to a U.S. government contractor.
“Some time later, we became aware of the ultimate owner and intended use of the building. This transaction is still subject to certain approvals and closing conditions,” the company said.
“As a matter of policy, we do not comment on private transactions. However, we understand that the conversation around immigration policy and enforcement is particularly heated, and has become much more so over the past few weeks. We respect that this issue is deeply important to many people.”
Jim Pattison Developments said the company remains committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations as it works to sell the property.
Green Leader Emily Lowan has called for a boycott of the Jim Pattison Group over the potential real estate deal, saying that British Columbians must hold corporations in Canada accountable for ties with ICE and President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown that has led to violence and death.
In a video posted
, Lowan calls on B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison, 97, who owns grocery stores, a coal mine, restaurants, car dealerships and more, to cut any ties with ICE.
“This boycott is gaining traction but it also surfaced a real problem. In many communities Pattison, or Loblaws, holds an effective monopoly on our food supply. There’s simply no other options,” said Lowan, adding that B.C. needs a public option for groceries.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518, a union representing 28,000 food workers in B.C., sent a letter to the Jim Pattison Group that was also posted
The union said it is concerned about the sale and that a boycott could ultimately hurt workers at grocery stores.
“UFCW 1518 stands firmly against the demonization and targeting of immigrant workers by the Trump administration, as well as the dehumanizing practices being utilized by ICE. The expansion of immigrant enforcement infrastructure, including ICE processing facilities, has had devastating consequences for workers and their families by creating fear and undermining fundamental human and labour rights,” said Patrick Johnson, president of UFCW 1518.
“Given the Pattison Group’s significant presence and influence here in Canada and in the United States, we believe that there is a responsibility to consider the broader social and moral implications of this sale and any future sales to the Department of Homeland Security. We urge you to decline any involvement that would contribute to the ongoing attack on human rights.”
The union said boycotts could lead to cut hours or wages that only shift the harm onto workers who can least afford it.
In response, Lowan said she respects the union’s concerns about workers “caught in the crossfire of decisions they did not make,” noting that “workers deserve better than being used as a human shield when billionaires make morally indefensible choices.”
“Our call is not to punish workers. It’s to hold powerful corporate actors accountable for choices that entangle British Columbia in detention, deportation, and human rights abuses,” her statement read.
“Jim Pattison is not a struggling grocer. He is one of the wealthiest people in the country, and this is his warehouse, his deal, his decision.”
The statement concluded by saying the ability to stand with grocery workers but also stand against ICE are “not only compatible, they are necessary.”
On Tuesday, during a scrum, a reporter asked B.C.’s attorney general Niki Sharma for her reaction to the potential sale. She said the government is concerned about what’s happening in the states with ICE.
“Just like the rest of the world, we watch in horror about what’s happening there and I think that calls upon business leaders across this province, including the whole country, to think about their role in what is unfolding there and to make decisions that would not lead to some of the outcomes that we’re seeing unfold in the states.”
Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security notified Hanover County it plans to “purchase, occupy and rehabilitate” the site for use as a processing facility.
Hanover County posted about the decision
, saying that the ICE facility is not a project initiated by the county.
U.S. media outlet
reported that the building was identified as a possible site for a processing facility that could hold up to 1,500 people.
The Washington Post has reported
that plans are underway to expand ICE detention centres given Trump’s immigration crackdown, with 23 potential sites that could hold more than 80,000 people.
With files from AFP
