In the Heart of Kansas, a Battle Over a Prison's Future
Border control agency ICE relies on no-bid contracts awarded to major corporations, aiming to increase detention space.
The quaint town of Leavenworth, Kansas, finds itself in the unwanted limelight, as it grapples with the federal government's decision to reopen an old prison there. Built in a time when serving hard time was synonymous with the city's name itself, the facility was infamous for housing gangsters like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. But now, this erstwhile "big house" could soon be detaining a different breed - migrants swept up by Trump's immigration crackdown.
The federal government, hurriedly seeking more detention beds, signed a deal with CoreCivic Corp. to reopen a 1,033-bed prison in Leavenworth. This move is part of a wave of contracts issued without competitive bids, as demand for immigration detention skyrockets. The pressure on Leavenworth's tranquil landscape has caused ripples, with the city suing CoreCivic after the company attempted to reopen without the city's sign-off.
The court battle marks another test of the boundaries of Trump's aggressive immigration policies, which have sparked controversy and controversy across the nation. The federal government has employed various unconventional methods to expand its detention capacity, including modifying existing agreements with contractors and using no-bid contracts. One such deal, estimated at $73 million, endows a company led by former federal immigration officials with "immigration enforcement support teams" to streamline operations such as coordinating deportations and triaging complaints.
Just last week, the Geo Group Inc. announced that it would reopen an idle prison adjacent to an existing detention center in Georgia, capable of holding 1,868 migrants. This endeavor promises an annual revenue of $66 million for the company. Executives of both CoreCivic and Geo Group have expressed optimism about the future, with CoreCivic's CEO Damon Hininger stating that the company is experiencing an unprecedented level of activity and demand.
Congress has also weighed in on the issue, with the House approving a budget measure that includes $45 billion over four years for immigrant detention - a threefold increase in spending. The Senate is now considering this legislation.
A Question of Legitimacy: The Iowa National Emergency and the Letter Contracts
When Trump entered his second term, CoreCivic and Geo had around 20 idle facilities due to sentencing reforms lowering prison populations. However, the Trump administration is aiming to more than double the existing 41,000 beds for detaining migrants, potentially even surpassing 150,000 beds. To achieve this, ICE declared a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border and has granted nine five-year contracts for 10,312 beds, bypassing "Full and Open Competition."
Only three of the potential facilities were listed in ICE's document - the Leavenworth facility, a 2,560-bed CoreCivic-owned facility in California City, and an 1,800-bed Geo-owned prison in Baldwin, Michigan. The agreement for the Leavenworth facility has not been released, nor have documents for the other two sites. CoreCivic and Geo Group officials claim ICE used letter contracts, intended for minor matters, to expedite the reopening of facilities when time is of the essence.
Privacy expert Charles Tiefer questions the legitimacy of such contracts for large-scale changes, stating, "I think that a letter contract is a pathetic way to make big important contracts."
A Kansas Town on the Fence
CoreCivic's Leavenworth facility is seen as an appealing choice due to its prime location, just 10 miles west of Kansas City International Airport. This makes transportation for targeted individuals in the Chicago area and Illinois more feasible. The facility could hold both men and women and lies within ICE's area of operations for Chicago - approximately 420 miles to the northeast.
Leavenworth's political leanings, which have traditionally supported Trump, might have led one to expect support for CoreCivic. However, city officials have argued that CoreCivic needs a special use permit to reopen its facility. CoreCivic disputes this, stating that it does not require a permit since the facility never abandoned operations. The lawsuit filed by Leavenworth against CoreCivic, which recently led to a court order requiring the company to obtain the permit, highlights the degree of ill-will generated towards CoreCivic after it housed criminal suspects for federal court trials provided by the U.S. Marshals Service.[1]
A Facility with a Controversial Past
In late 2021, CoreCivic stopped housing pretrial detainees in its Leavenworth facility after President Biden called on the U.S. Department of Justice to curb the use of private prisons. During its operation, the facility was plagued by incidents such as stabbings, suicides, homicides, and inmate rights violations, as outlined in a letter to the White House. CoreCivic maintained that these claims were false and defamatory at the time.
A 2017 Department of Justice report revealed vacancies among correctional officers as high as 23%. William Rogers, who worked as a guard at the CoreCivic facility between 2016 and 2020, recounted repeated assaults, which sent him to the emergency room three times.[1]
The facility earned condemnation from U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson, a George W. Bush appointee, who described it as an "absolute hell hole." The city's lawsuit listed detainees locked in showers as punishment, impeded the city police force's investigation of sexual assaults and other violent crimes, and strained the wastewater system with prodigious sheets and towels from the facility.[1]
A tour of the facility earlier this year revealed a spotless, disinfectant-scented facility devoid of inmates, with a painting of a covered wagon adorning one wall of a unit for inmates.[1] Warden Misty Mackey apologized for past employees' experiences during the tour and affirmed that company officials work diligently to address issues.[1]
A Nationwide Push for Detention Centers
Besides the CoreCivic prison in Leavenworth, other shuttered facilities could come online across major immigrant population centers, including New York and Los Angeles, to help Trump achieve his deportation goals. ICE aims to reopen existing facilities, as it is faster than constructing new ones.[2]
Some jurisdictions have passed ordinances banning county-level jail leasing for immigration detention.[2] ICE has leveraged contract modifications to reactivate facilities such as the 1,000-bed Delaney Hall Facility in Newark, New Jersey, and a 2,500-bed facility in Dilley, Texas.[2]
The Newark facility, with its history of problems, resumed intake on May 1, but has since seen disorder and four escapes.[2] The contract modification for Dilley, which resumed operations in March, organizes its units under the guise of "neighborhoods," each given names like Brown Bear and Blue Butterfly.[2]
The financial details for the Newark and Dilley contract modifications are not disclosed in online copies, nor did ICE respond to a request for comment.[2]
From Shuttered Prisons to Golden Opportunities
Private prison executives forecast substantial profits from their ICE contracts, with CoreCivic's and Geo's stocks surging by 56% and 73% respectively since Trump's reelection in November.[1] While the future of CoreCivic's Leavenworth facility remains uncertain, it is clear that the immigration debate and money-making opportunities in this arena shows no signs of subsiding anytime soon.
[1] Kopf, S., & Hanna, T. (2021, December 27). Kansas City, KS. Retrieved from KCUR.org: https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-27/kansas-city-ks-community-response-latest-corecivic-plan-to-open-closed-prison[2] Newark Mayor Accuses Immigrant Detention Center of harboring 'Potential Uprising.' (2022, July 15). Retrieved from CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/newark-mayor-accuses-immigrant-detention-center-of-harboring-potential-uprising/[3] Goodman, J., & Lee, M. (2019, December 12). Yahoo News. Retrieved from Yahoo News: https://news.yahoo.com/corecivic-execute-new-ice-contracts-wake-050137050.html
- The federal government's decision to reopen a prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, has sparked controversy, as it was infamous for housing gangsters and could soon detain migrants swept up by immigration policies.
- The Leavenworth facility's reopening is part of a wave of contracts issued by the federal government, as demand for immigration detention skyrockets and no-bid contracts are employed to streamline operations.
- In California, a 2,560-bed CoreCivic-owned facility could become operational in California City, while a 1,800-bed Geo-owned prison in Baldwin, Michigan, is also under consideration for reopening, as ICE aims to more than double existing migrant detention beds.
- The immigration debate and subsequent expansion of detention centers has led to questionable practices, such as the use of letter contracts for large-scale changes, which raise concerns about the legitimacy of these arrangements.
- Leavenworth's city officials have argued that CoreCivic needs a special use permit to reopen its facility, creating a legal battle that highlights the discord between the town and the company.
- In the fight over immigration policies and detention expansions, private prison executives foresee substantial profits, with their stocks surging since Trump's reelection in November 2020.
