Leavenworth officials and residents are pushing back against CoreCivic’s plan to reopen its shuttered prison as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, citing both zoning rules and the facility’s troubled history.
On Aug. 6, CoreCivic attorneys asked a Leavenworth District Court judge to dismiss three counts in a case filed by the City of Leavenworth, pushing to end the court battle affecting its closed Leavenworth prison.
After hearing arguments, Judge John Bryant said he would take the issues under advisement. He gave no timeframe for when he would make a decision.
The prison, now called the Midwest Regional Reception Center, closed in 2021 after losing a federal contract and facing repeated accusations of poor conditions. CoreCivic wants to repurpose it to hold about 1,033 ICE detainees and has already received a $5 million start-up payment from the federal government, with up to $22.6 million available over six months.
City leaders argue the facility lost its “grandfathered” status under zoning laws after sitting idle for more than a year. They say CoreCivic must apply for a special use permit before reopening. The company insists no permit is required and is fighting in court to bypass the process.
A federal judge recently dismissed the city’s case for lack of jurisdiction, leaving the fight in Kansas district court. CoreCivic is asking a local judge to dismiss several claims, including a public nuisance allegation, while the city seeks to block any detainees from arriving until the permit issue is decided.
The dispute has sparked protests and renewed criticism of CoreCivic’s record. “They expect us to have amnesia about their track record,” said ACLU of Kansas spokeswoman Esmie Tseng, pointing to concerns about detainee treatment and worker exploitation.
CoreCivic has offered the city $1 million up front if it reopens, plus $250,000 annually to the city and $150,000 to police. But many officials and residents say no amount of money justifies the return of a facility they believe harmed the community.
The court’s decision will determine whether the prison’s gates stay locked — or open once again.