Pattison firm says it did not know warehouse was intended to become ICE facility

The property arm of Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Group says it did not know that a Virginia warehouse it owns was intended as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility at the time it agreed to sell the site.

Jim Pattison Developments says in a statement that it accepted an offer from “a U.S. government contractor” to buy the site but only became aware of the “ultimate owner” and intended use some time later.

Read more:

• B.C. attorney general warns against doing deals with ICE, amid pending Pattison sale
• Toys ‘R’ Us future in doubt, but Sask. retail real estate market remains strong
• Criminals using AI to commit ransomware attacks, cybersecurity centre warns

It says the sale remains subject to approvals and closing conditions and it intends on “complying with all applicable laws.”

The firm, owned by British Columbia billionaire Jimmy Pattison, says it understands the conversation around U.S. immigration policy and enforcement is “particularly heated,” and respects that the issue is “deeply important to many people.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, says it plans to use the Pattison site in Hanover, Va., as a “holding and processing” facility.

B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said on Tuesday that business leaders need to consider if their decisions are contributing to an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, where two people have been shot dead by federal agents.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2026.