Canadian company will not sell Hanover building to Homeland Security for ICE facility

Protestors gathered Wednesday night in Hanover as the county asked ICE to consider a different location for its facility. (Michael Phillips/The Richmonder)

A planned immigration "processing facility" in Hanover will not move forward after the Canadian company that owns the warehouse said it would not follow through on the deal.

"The transaction to sell our industrial building in Ashland, Virginia will not be proceeding," the company wrote on Friday.

The company had previously said it was unaware of the intended purpose of the building when it agreed to sell it to the federal government.

The case drew intense interest in Canada, and several media outlets from the country were present on Wednesday night as the Hanover Board of Supervisors asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reconsider its decision.