US Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that a former private prison in western Minnesota began holding federal immigration detainees this week. The 1,600-bed Appleton Detention Facility officially opened on November 9 in rural Swift County. Formerly the Prairie Correctional Facility, it had sat dormant since closing in 2010. In Swift County, local officials welcomed economic activity; legal aid organizations warned that the rural location creates severe obstacles for detainees seeking legal representation.
The Department of Homeland Security purchased the facility from CoreCivic in August for $496 million, according to MPR News, Fox 9 and the Associated Press. CoreCivic subsequently secured a five-year operational contract to manage daily facility operations on behalf of ICE. Security vehicles began patrolling the perimeter early this week as transport vans transferred initial detainees to the site. The facility adds bed capacity across the Upper Midwest.
DHS officials said: "DHS opened the Appleton Detention Facility on November 9 to carry out the administration's mandate for border enforcement and removals." DHS officials added that modernizing dormant infrastructure provides secure housing while immigration court proceedings move forward.
A University of Minnesota Law School study revealed only three licensed immigration attorneys operating within a 100-mile radius of Appleton. CURE MN said holding detainees hours away from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area severely restricts access to pro bono counsel and in-person family visits. The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota said it is monitoring intake processing and telephone access rules, while attorneys warned that without adequate internet access and private meeting rooms, bond hearings and asylum claims will face delays. Minnesota legal defense organizations began coordinating remote consultation hotlines and mobile legal clinics to assist families navigating detention.
