On Nov. 12, a spot in Newport’s city council chambers was the hottest ticket in town.

An emergency meeting was set for 6 p.m. and the small chamber quickly swelled to capacity, packed with Newport residents waiting to hear how the council would react to what many saw as a dire threat.

“We’re going to do everything we can to fight this,” Mayor Jan Kaplan told his audience, to wild applause. “That’s where we stand.”

Days earlier, rumors had begun to blow through Newport like a stiff sea breeze. By the time of the meeting, many in the small coastal city were convinced: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was looking to build an immigrant detention center in town.

Evidence seemed to be growing by the day.

To start with, the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that for decades stood ready to

See Full Page