Tensions boiled over at a Roxbury Township Council meeting Tuesday night following reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security signed a nearly $32 million contract tied to the proposed conversion of a local warehouse into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.

The meeting was adjourned early as residents packed the room to protest the possibility of an ICE detention center operating in their community. The contract news comes amid an ongoing legal battle over the project.

Earlier this year, the State of New Jersey and Roxbury Township sued the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to stop the agency from converting the warehouse into a large-scale detention facility.

In May, a federal judge ruled that DHS could not move forward with the project until an environmental impact study is completed. However, township officials said this week they learned DHS had signed a contract worth nearly $32 million related to converting the property.

While the agreement does allow limited work to be performed at this stage, news of the contract has renewed concerns among residents and advocacy groups that the federal government is attempting to advance the project prematurely.

"It shows DHS and ICE's bad faith in that before they have received the results of an environmental study, they've already prejudged that they can go ahead and create this facility," said David Broderick, an attorney representing No ICE in North Jersey, also known as Project NINJA.

Broderick argued that environmental concerns surrounding the project, like water and sewer capacity, should be prioritized.

"They're treating the environmental issues as sort of a sideshow that can be sidestepped, whereas we believe they're important enough and serious enough that this facility is just not feasible," he said.

Members of Project NINJA and other local advocates have maintained a rotating presence outside the warehouse, monitoring the site for potential ICE activity. Concerns intensified earlier this fall when reports surfaced that ICE agents were using the facility, despite the court order. Rep. Analilia Mejia said ICE used the warehouse parking lot to process detainees on at least two occasions.

Township leaders said they are now seeking more information about the newly disclosed contract. In a statement to News 12, Roxbury Township officials said, "There is no Township official who supports the establishment of this facility in Roxbury, and protecting our residents, their property, and their resources is at the heart of this suit."