LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A judge ruled on Wednesday that major U.S. prison operators cannot house residential immigrants facing deportation at the decommissioned detention center in the Kansas City area without the approval of local officials, who have expressed their frustration.
Leavenworth County Judge John Bryant granted a temporary restraining order to the City of Leavenworth against CoreCivic, one of the largest private prison companies in the U.S., during a crowded hearing.
CoreCivic argued in its legal filing that stopping the opening of its 1,033-bed facility in the Kansas City suburbs would result in a loss of $4.2 million in monthly revenue. City officials anticipate that detainees arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could arrive soon due to the intensified immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Leavenworth isn’t the only city expressing concern over the reopening of private prisons as immigration detention facilities. The Mayor of Roselle, Newark, New Jersey, sued the state’s chief federal prosecutor on Tuesday regarding his recent trespassing arrest at the state’s immigration detention facility, despite political connections to Trump-appointed attorneys involved in the lawsuit.
Mayor Scott Peterson of Leavenworth noted he wasn’t certain if their victory in court signifies a first for municipalities.
“Our success today highlights that this issue transcends immigration,” Peterson stated. “It isn’t merely about private prisons; it’s fundamentally about land use.”
In late 2021, CoreCivic ended its agreements to house former U.S. military pretrial detainees at the Leavenworth facility following then-President Biden’s announcement to reduce the usage of private prisons. The American Civil Liberties Union and federal public defenders previously urged the White House to expedite the closure due to allegations of prisoner rights violations, including stabbings, suicides, and even homicides.
However, with President Trump’s push for aggressive deportations amid a wide-ranging crackdown on illegal immigration, the facility, situated just 10 miles west of Kansas City International Airport, is once again viewed as essential. Trump committed to significantly increasing the number of detention beds nationwide this year, starting with 41,000 beds allocated in the budget.
CoreCivic first sought a special use permit from the city in February but withdrew the application in March, asserting that it didn’t require a permit and the process was delayed.
“It became apparent that CoreCivic was not willing to collaborate effectively,” said Taylor Concannon Hausmann, an attorney representing the private prison operator in court.
The city proceeded to sue CoreCivic, claiming that it obstructed police investigations into sexual assaults and other violent crimes. The lawsuit emphasized that a permitting process was vital to guard against future complications.
“Follow our guidelines,” city counsel Joe Hatley urged the court. “Obtain the necessary permission.”
The initial version of the lawsuit filed in federal court in March was dismissed in May due to technicalities. Nevertheless, Bryant ruled in favor of Hatley in state court that month, stating that proper procedures had not been adhered to.
CoreCivic’s attorney, Concannon Hausmann, opted not to comment after the courtroom was cleared on Wednesday. Norman Maricourt exited with a sign that read, “CoreCivic won’t run in Leavenworth.”
“We see this as a giant corporation attempting to assert control over small cities, essentially trying to avoid following local rules and regulations,” Maricourt remarked.
Source: apnews.com