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Possible opening of ICE detention center in Minnesota sparks protest • Minnesota Reformer [1]

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Date: 2025-10-01  

Fifteen years after a 1,600-bed private prison in west central Minnesota shuttered, the Trump administration is considering reopening the facility as an immigrant detention center.

Internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement records obtained by the Washington Post in August named the vacant Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton as a piece of the plan to expand immigrant detention capacity to more than 100,000 beds by the end of the year — about a 66% increase from April.

Faith leaders from across the state joined Appleton residents in a prayer vigil in protest of the prison’s potential reopening Tuesday. One resident, with supporters in tow, delivered a letter to local leaders, signed by a number of faith leaders and immigrant rights organizations, opposing the detention center plans and requesting transparency.

“Appleton, frankly, is going to be a real hotbed of resistance,” said Rev. Daniel Romero of Disciples Public Presence, a social justice advocacy arm of the Disciples of Christ church.

The documents obtained by the Post were preliminary plans and were still in flux at the time of reporting, but the prison’s owners, CoreCivic, and ICE have not denied the reports.

Appleton City Administrator John Olinger told MPR News in August that CoreCivic was “aggressively pursuing” a contract with ICE.

ICE and its enforcement and detention tactics have become a flashpoint as the Trump administration attempts a mass deportation campaign, while human rights activists and civil libertarians demand more scrutiny and accountability.

On Tuesday, for instance, U.S. District Court Judge William Young, a Reagan-appointee, slammed the Trump administration for using deportations as a way to stamp out the free speech rights of immigrant pro-Palestinian demonstrators. He called the conduct of the administration unconstitutional and “a thing virtually unknown to our constitutional tradition.”

In a statement to the Reformer, an ICE spokesperson said the agency “is indeed pursuing all available options to expand bedspace capacity.” The Republican megalaw passed in July boosted funding for immigrant detention and deportation by $176 billion, with $45 billion set aside for expanding detention capacity.

CoreCivic spokesman Brian Todd said the company “continue(s) to explore opportunities with our government partners for which our Prairie Correctional Facility could be a viable solution.”

Prairie Correctional Facility was Minnesota’s only private prison until it shut down in 2010. A state law passed by the DFL-Legislature in 2023 bans private prison contracts at the state level — but won’t impact the federal government’s efforts to establish a private detention facility in Minnesota.

The resistance is certainly present — if not widespread — in Appleton, which Trump won in 2024 by 27 points. As dozens of people gathered to sing and pray together in the green space next to Appleton City Hall, a truck circled the block with an American flag flying and a “WELCOME ICE” sign.

One woman stopped by to heckle the group.

Speakers at the vigil cited moral and religious opposition to Trump’s increased immigration enforcement. They criticized CoreCivic over allegations of violence, sexual abuse and understaffing at its facilities. And they called on local officials to meet with local residents and faith leaders before approving the reopening of the facility.

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[1] Url: https://minnesotareformer.com/2025/10/01/possible-opening-of-ice-detention-center-in-minnesota-sparks-protest/

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