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yesterday

Mason Approves ICE Detention Center at Closed West Tennessee Prison

Under a January federal policy reversal, Mason leaders approved the plan to refill the prison with immigration detainees, drawing local criticism over oversight given CoreCivic’s record of fines and settlements.

FILE - The CoreCivic West Tennessee Detention Facility, Jan. 24, 2024, in Mason, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
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FILE - The CoreCivic West Tennessee Detention Facility, Jan. 24, 2024, in Mason, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
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Overview

  • The Board of Aldermen and Mayor Eddie Noeman voted to convert the 600-bed West Tennessee Detention Facility into an ICE immigration detention center run by CoreCivic.
  • The decision follows President Trump’s January reversal of a Biden-era ban on private detention contracts, enabling renewed ICE partnerships with companies like CoreCivic.
  • CoreCivic projects nearly 240 new jobs at $26.50 per hour with benefits, plus about $325,000 in annual property tax revenue for Tipton County and $200,000 for Mason.
  • The American Civil Liberties Union and local activists criticized the limited public review of contract documents and the unspecified timeline for reopening.
  • Critics point to CoreCivic’s record of $44.7 million in state fines since 2022 and more than $4.4 million in legal settlements tied to understaffing and inmate deaths.