A dormant private prison in the U.S. state of Kansas is at the center of a heated legal and political clash, as the facility operator plans to detain migrants.

Leavenworth

Leavenworth, Kansas, known for its correctional facilities, is facing community division over the potential reopening of a privately operated detention center previously closed due to allegations of abuse and mismanagement. The facility, run by Core Civic, has been unable to reopen due to a permitting dispute with the city, which has led to legal action and a court order preventing operations without the required permit.

Supporters, including local Republican officials, argue that reopening would bring jobs and revenue, while opponents cite safety concerns and question the ethics of profiting from migrant detention. The debate reflects broader national arguments about immigration policy, private prisons, and the social costs of detention.

U.S. town of Leavenworth divided over migrant detention

Leavenworth is a prison town. That's to say, prisons are a key part of the city's identity. A mix of federal, state and military correctional facilities are hosted here or very nearby. Like the famous United States Penitentiary Leavenworth, which counted Al Capone as one of its notable inmates. But in a place where detention facilities are a fixture, there's one that's been a source of division for the community. Belonging to the private prison operator Core Civic, it's been shut since 2021. Before it closed, however, it was plagued by allegations of abuse and mismanagement. The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas even wrote a letter to the White House warning that Core Civic Leavenworth was dangerously understaffed, poorly managed and incapable of safely housing its detainee population. Stabbing, suicides and even homicide have occurred with alarming frequency in the last year, with weapons, drugs and other contraband now a common occurrence. But the much-crutinized facility could soon resume business, if it irons out some bureaucratic snags. So this is the Midwest Regional Reception Center, a previously shuttered Core Civic facility that the company is trying to reopen. But a permitting problem led to it being unable to do so, at least for now. Core Civic won a contract from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to detain migrants here for $4.2 billion per month. But the city of Leavenworth has now sued Core Civic, saying it tried to restart operations without getting a special use permit required under city rules. A Kansas district court has blocked Core Civic from housing detainees without the permit, a requirement that the company is contesting. Bottom line for now is that Core Civic can't earn money from the 1,033 beds it has in the facility just yet. But the four unopposed camps have formed in Leavenworth, and perhaps unsurprisingly, they fall along partisan lines. Pat Proctor is a Republican Kansas state representative and supports reopening the facility, also for economic reasons. The plan is to detain illegal immigrants that are awaiting deportation back to their country of origin or third countries. I love that mission because, first of all, it's 300 jobs for local folks. It's also tons of revenue for the city, not just the increased property taxes. It's sort of frustrating that we're all ready to open, and three Democrats on the city commission don't like Donald Trump, so they're suing to keep it shut down. But then there's the other side. Mike Trapp with the Core Civic opposition group argues that the increased effort to create more supply of detention space will in turn create unsustainable demand. They had a lot of facility deaths, employee injuries because of short staffing and dangerous conditions. That's going to be exacerbated with the immigration population because of language barriers and because of the difficulty in following up about reporting abuse. People got a taste for what this mass deportation would look like, and they don't like it. While the debate in Leavenworth has been brought to a stalemate, a nationwide argument is ongoing. One that's not just about economic benefits and opportunity costs, but whether the social price of profiting from migrant detention is a price worth paying.

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