Like many drivers on St. Thomas’ western end, Source reader Diana Parker was puzzled when signs appeared along Crown Mountain Road, southwest of the Four Corners intersection, pointing to a detour for the DHS-ICE facility. So she asked the Answer Desk: What is it?

First, what it is not: It is not an ice plant nor any sort of commercial venture.

It’s a U.S. facility run by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.)

Superintendent Roy Rogers said the facility is used to process people who are picked up by law enforcement agents because they are suspected of entering the territory illegally. It’s not a residential facility; the people are either released after being processed or are sent to ICE facilities in San Juan or Miami.

Extensive road repairs the last few months led to closing the main road to the facility, thus necessitating the detour, Rogers said.