LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — A judge ruled Wednesday that CoreCivic, a major U.S. private prison operator, cannot house immigrants facing deportation in a closed detention center near Kansas City without an official permit from the city. The decision, made by Leavenworth County Judge John Bryant, follows a packed hearing that supported the city’s request for a temporary restraining order against the prison company.
CoreCivic previously argued that delaying the opening of the 1,033-bed facility would result in $4.2 million lost in monthly revenue. Local officials expressed concern about the imminent arrival of detainees as part of heightened immigration enforcement under the former Trump administration.
This isn’t the first instance where a municipality confronted the reactivation of private prisons for immigration purposes. Recently, Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka initiated legal action against the state’s federal prosecutor following his arrest in connection with a Federal detention facility, claiming political motivations behind the charges.
City Manager Scott Peterson noted uncertainty over whether this decision marked a first for local governments successfully opposing private prison operations in court. He emphasized the case’s focus on land use rather than immigration policies or private incarceration.
CoreCivic ceased housing pretrial detainees for the U.S. Marshals Service at this facility in late 2021 after President Biden’s administration directed the Justice Department to limit private prison practices. Advocates previously called for the facility’s closure, citing serious inmate rights violations, including incidents of violence and mental health crises.
With the landscape of immigration policy shifting under the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation approach, CoreCivic seeks to repurpose the facility into what they termed the Midwest Regional Reception Center, situated approximately 10 miles from the Kansas City International Airport. Trump’s administration expressed intentions to significantly expand the number of detention beds nationwide beyond the 41,000 budgeted for the current year.
Earlier in the year, CoreCivic applied for a special use permit but withdrew the request, claiming the process was burdensome and unnecessary. Attorney Taylor Concannon Hausmann, representing CoreCivic, remarked in court that it became apparent the city and the company were not working together cooperatively.
The lawsuit initiated by the city argued that CoreCivic inhibited the police department’s ability to investigate crimes such as sexual assaults. Local officials contended the permit process is essential for ensuring regulatory compliance and addressing potential future issues.
During the proceedings, city attorney Joe Hatley urged the company to adhere to local regulations. “Just follow our rules,” he stated.
The original federal lawsuit, filed in March, was dismissed on technical grounds but was subsequently refiled in state court, where Judge Bryant found that the requisite procedures had not been adequately followed.
After the hearing, Concannon Hausmann declined to make a statement as attendees exited, while local resident Norman Mallicoat held a sign reading, “CoreCivic Doesn’t Run Leavenworth.” Mallicoat expressed concern over the perceived pressure from a large corporation on a smaller city to bypass established regulations.
This article was automatically written by OpenAI, and the details, people, and circumstances may be inaccurate. Any article can be requested for removal, retraction, or correction by contacting contact@publiclawlibrary.org.