Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) on Thursday defended opening a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Utah but questioned a lack of coordination between federal and state officials throughout the process.

The West needs another holding center for millions of illegal immigrants who flooded into the country during the Biden administration, and are now being deported by President Donald Trump, Cox said during his monthly press conference. Amid continuous protests against the facility, the governor also downplayed Salt Lake City ​​Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s concerns that ICE’s newly purchased center in the city would place a strain on the surrounding infrastructure and economy.