DHS opening new ICE facility at former Minnesota prison

Minnesota lawmakers and labor leaders are condemning plans to reopen the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton as an ICE detention center. CoreCivic announced Tuesday that it sold the former 1,600-bed prison to the Department of Homeland Security for $495.6 million.

CoreCivic expects the site to bring in about $75 million in annual revenue. AFSCME Council 5 denounced the agreement, calling the reopening of the prison as a private immigration detention center "morally wrong.” 

"No corporation should generate revenue and profit from imprisoning human beings, separating families, and expanding a for-profit detention industry that treats human beings and workers as sources of profit for shareholders," the union said in a statement.

The criticism comes as Minnesota continues to grapple with the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge which led to the killings for Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. The federal occupation led to widespread ICE arrests across the Twin Cities earlier this year and sparked protests, lawsuits and allegations of civil rights violations.

"CoreCivic and ICE should not mistake a signed contract for any level of public acceptance by Minnesotans. We will not remain silent while this, or any, private corporation attempts to profit from incarcerating human beings," said AFSCME Council 5.

Rep. Brad Tabke, DFL-Shakopee, said the facility will not make communities safer and urged Appleton residents to oppose the project.

"We know what keeps us safe, and it's not a detention center in our communities," Tabke said. "They've moved elsewhere to try and intimidate another Minnesota community, and it's Appleton's turn to stand up for their immigrant neighbors and stop this center from becoming a reality."

CoreCivic's five year contract with DHS starts on Aug. 11. According to the company, they expect the federal government to send detainees to the facility this fall and for the detention center to be fully operational by mid-2027.