Home » News » 2025 » June
News Brief
June 6, 2025 |
By: Caitlyn Miller
A District Court Judge in Kansas temporarily blocked CoreCivic from holding immigrant detainees at unused facility
A District Court Judge in Kansas temporarily blocked a private prison company from holding immigrant detainees at its unused facility in Leavenworth. CoreCivic, a massive prison company that owns the former prison, intends to hold over 1,000 detainees for ICE. The judge's decision has played a pivotal part in the ongoing legal battle that could prevent President Donald Trump's immigration agenda from being enacted in the region. Two weeks ago, a federal judge denied a move made by the city of Leavenworth to block CoreCivic's plans. Following this, the city's attorneys quickly filed a similar complaint in state court that addresses CoreCivic's need for proper permits in order to utilize the building as a detention center. This led Leavenworth County District Judge John Bryant to rule in favor of the city in a hearing on Wednesday. The city's lawyers argued that CoreCivic needs to apply for a special use permit, which is a two-month process that involves public meetings with community input and the city commission. An attorney for the city, David Waters, was pleased by the court's decision. “I’m looking forward to the public process, and giving the opportunity for the community to speak about such an important matter,” he said.
