Appleton Detention Facility now open and operational for use by ICE

A former private prison in Minnesota, which has sat idle since 2010, is now operational for use by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Department of Homeland Security opened the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, a spokesperson told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, as part of the department’s immigration enforcement efforts.

In August, the facility’s former owners, CoreCivic, announced they had sold it to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for $495.6 million. At the time, the company said it expected to continue operating the facility under existing contracts with ICE.

“The site gives ICE immediate capacity to detain and remove those who have no legal right to remain, protecting American communities and restoring the integrity...