In the quiet town of Winton, North Carolina, a once-abandoned correctional facility is at the center of a heated debate. Plans are underway to transform the dormant Rivers Correctional Institution into a major immigration detention center, sparking both political and public uproar.
The New York Times reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to refurbish the facility into a 1,400-bed detention center. Closed since 2021, the institution is situated in the rural expanse of Hertford County, marking a significant development in the region.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has publicly opposed the project. Through a statement delivered on Friday, he expressed serious concerns: “Everyone who commits a crime should be held accountable, and violent criminals who are here illegally should be deported. However, ICE has a proven track record of arresting, detaining, and abusing American citizens, and the overwhelming majority of people ICE has detained have…” tweeted Stein.
Stein underscored the issue of safety in ICE facilities, citing that at least 22 detainees have died in such centers this year, as reported by Human Rights Watch. The previous year recorded 33 deaths.
Reviving a Closed Institution
Previously, documents released by the American Civil Liberties Union revealed that The GEO Group, the facility’s private operator, proposed reopening the 257-acre site to ICE. They touted its “rural setting” as ideal for operations with minimal community impact.
The potential reopening has already stirred local resistance, with protests erupting in the nearby town of Ahoskie in March.
Aaron Sanchez-Guerra
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WUNC News
The facility, when operational, was known for its poor conditions and was scrutinized for issues like contraband and officer violence, as reported by WUNC News. It was closed following a directive from the Biden administration to phase out for-profit prisons.
“When it was open, this prison was singled out by the Justice Department for having some of the worst conditions in the entire federal system,” remarked Andreina Malki of Siembra NC. “Now, it will be run by the exact same for-profit company that generated those crises.”
Neither The GEO Group nor ICE provided comments to WUNC News regarding the developments.
