Is ICE expanding in Cary near Koka Booth? Here’s what we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Town officials confirm they lack authority to block federal moves.
- GSA search lists a five‑year lease at 11000 Regency Pkwy starting Oct. 6, 2025.
- Activists warn ICE expansion harms community trust, property values and public safety.
Local elected leaders are fielding petitions and calls to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from expanding in Cary.
Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht wrote he’s received “dozens of emails about ICE potentially moving into a building” in the Regency Park area next to Koka Booth Amphitheatre on his blog.
“We have no authority over the federal government,” he said. “At this time, the town has not received any requests or permit applications from ICE. However, they could proceed there, and we do not have the authority to stop them.”
The town of Cary also confirmed it’s not received notice of the federal government moving into the area, said Carolyn Roman, assistant director of citizen information and outreach.
“At the same time, it is important to recognize that federal agencies have independent authority and will operate in ways that do not require local rezoning or municipal approval,” she said. “While the Town does not direct or control federal operations, we remain committed to sharing accurate information when it is available and to ensuring our community stays informed.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which already has an office in Cary at 140 Centrewest Court, did not respond to questions from The News & Observer on Tuesday.
ICE in Cary
The building in question is 11000 Regency Parkway, a five-story building near Symphony Lake and Koka Booth, which currently houses several businesses including a law firm, a construction company and healthcare business.
Representatives of Foundry Commercial, the group listed at the building as who to contact for leasing information, referred questions to the building’s owner.
The Cary spot is one of 150 locations mentioned in a recent Wired article that reported ICE and the Department of Homeland Security are expanding at “breakneck speed” across the country. The WIRED article specifically mentions the role the General Service Administration, which manages property and procurement for the federal government, for its “critical role in this aggressive expansion.”
Law enforcement office space
A GSA website of leased or owned property provides details for two locations in Cary, including the address of those sites.
However, a third “lease number” is provided which has an address at 11000 Regency Parkway. A GSA website to search federal leases shows the property has a five-year lease that began Oct. 6, 2025, for about 25,000 square feet.
The General Services Administration sought leases for “administrative office space in support of law enforcement operations” in 19 cities, including in Raleigh, according to a September 2025 posting on the federal government’s website used by organizations to register to do business with the government.
The lease terms are for 10 years, and GSA is looking for fully furnished space for up to 70 workstations or desks including private offices, cubicles, a server room and a conference room.
The posting seeking office space in Raleigh occurred at the same time as national media organizations, like NPR and The Washington Post, reported that General Services Administration was rapidly expanding for the federal government’s far-reaching immigration enforcement.
“GSA is committed to working with all of our partner agencies to meet their workspace needs,” according to a GSA statement sent to The N&O Thursday morning. “GSA remains focused on supporting this administration’s goal of optimizing the federal footprint, and providing the best workplaces for our federal agencies to meet their mission. GSA is following all lease procurement procedures in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”
Activists in Cary
One of the groups raising the alarm is Cary Indivisible, started by wife-and-husband Martha and Steve Glass.
“We know that they’ve been in Cary,” Martha Glass said. “They’ve been in Durham, and of course in Charlotte, they’ve been in other places. So just the knowledge that ICE is back here in our sanctuary of our town is dreadful.”
Steve Glass is concerned regardless of how ICE might expand in the Triangle, but would be especially concerned about potential warehouse space used for housing people taken by ICE. The Charlotte Observer reported protests in Concord after the city was included in a list of potential site for an ICE warehouse.
“Introducing increased ICE presence around our homes, schools and community damages trust in our local law enforcement, decreases the values of our properties and increases our community members’ risk of violent encounters,” according to a statement from activist groups calling on people to contact local and state officials to oppose an ICE expansion in Cary.
Weinbrecht previously spoke out during U.S. Border Patrol enforcement in the area last year, noting about a quarter of the western Wake County town’s residents are from another country.
“Regardless of one’s stance on immigration, I think we can all agree that the tactics used in these operations instill fear in our community and erode trust between our citizens and the government put in place to protect, support and serve them,” he said. “As Mayor, my heart breaks for all those impacted by these actions, and I look forward to doing what I can to help us heal.”
This story has been updated with a statement from GSA.
This story was originally published February 26, 2026 at 7:51 AM.
