New Detention Centers, Legal Battles, and Rising Opposition

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz may be the next state leader to face the expansion of ICE's detention center network. This follows the opening or repurposing of major facilities in states like Florida, New Jersey, and Texas.

A private prison that closed over a decade ago, and was rendered obsolete by a 2024 law banning non-governmental state penitentiaries, is reportedly under consideration by ICE. The defunct Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, near the South Dakota border, is being considered, according to documents reported by Minnesota Public Radio News. An Appleton official stated the city is not currently in communication with ICE, but the prison's former owner is seeking a federal contract. The state law reportedly does not cover federal usage of private prison facilities.

Several other potential locations have been identified. These include Alligator Alcatraz in Ochopee, Florida, which is currently in limbo due to a ruling. Another private prison, the Reeves County Detention Center in Pecos, Texas, is one of the world’s largest, with a capacity of 3,700 beds. Documents also mention a facility dubbed "Brownsville Family" near the border in Texas, with a planned capacity of 3,500 people. Fort Bliss in El Paso is already being used for immigration-related detentions, a move that has drawn criticism.

In California, plans are underway to house ICE detainees at another former private prison in California City, near Bakersfield. CoreCivic, the same vendor as the prison in Minnesota, has a deal with the federal government to repurpose its 2,560-bed facility. California Governor Gavin Newsom has opposed private prisons, and a ban he signed was overturned by a federal court.

The largest ICE detention center in the northeastern U.S. is the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, which can hold about 1,800 people. Texas, Louisiana, and California are among the states with the highest number of migrant detentions. The Washington Post reported that at least 19 states could have detention-purposed facilities.