Walz’ Minnesota Faces Potential ICE Detention Facility Amid National Expansion
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz may be the next state leader to host a federal ICE detention facility as the U.S. government continues to expand its private prison network across multiple states, including Florida, New Jersey, Texas, and others. The federal immigration enforcement agency is reportedly considering repurposing the defunct Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, near the South Dakota line, for ICE use. This facility had been rendered obsolete by a 2024 law that prohibited non-governmental state penitentiaries, yet federal authorities can still utilize private facilities for immigration enforcement.
According to a report by Minnesota Public Radio News, the Prairie Correctional Facility, which operated until 2010, is now under consideration for ICE use, although the local city has not yet engaged with the agency. The facility’s previous owner is seeking a federal contract, which has sparked discussions about the potential implications of allowing such a facility to return into federal hands. The state law banning non-governmental prisons does not prevent federal agencies from using private prisons, which has drawn criticism from state officials and advocacy groups.
Other states are also experiencing similar developments, with potential sites including the Alligator Alcatraz in Ochopee, Florida, currently under legal scrutiny. In Texas, the Reeves County Detention Center in Pecos, with a capacity of 3,700 beds, is already housing ICE detainees. The state of California, which has opposed private prisons, is also seeing plans for repurposing former private facilities, despite a federal court ruling that overturned a ban on private prisons in 2019.
A growing network of ICE detention centers across the U.S. is raising concerns about the scale and scope of immigration enforcement measures. With at least 19 states potentially having the capacity for or having detention-purposed facilities by the end of the year, the expansion of ICE facilities highlights ongoing tensions between federal immigration policies and state-level resistance, as well as the broader debate over the use of private prisons in the U.S. immigration system.