New ICE detention facility opens in Minnesota after $496M federal purchase
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facility → open → purchase
The privately owned, 1,600-bed prison had sat vacant for 16 years before it was offered to the state of Minnesota for $75 million in 2025, according to documents obtained by local media.
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it → own → media
The federal government opened a new detention facility in Minnesota on Monday, a move it says will help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement better enforce immigration laws.
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Enforcement → open → laws
The facility, located in western Minnesota near the South Dakota border, was purchased by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in August for $495.6 million.
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facility → locate → million
The privately owned, 1,600-bed prison had sat vacant for 16 years before it was offered to the state of Minnesota for $75 million in 2025, according to documents obtained by local media.
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it → own → media
The Minnesota Department of Corrections declined the offer, and federal taxpayers paid $420 million more for the property just a year later.
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taxpayers → decline → property
Appleton Detention Facility, formerly known as the Prairie Correctional Facility, began housing ICE detainees this week and is expected to be fully operational by mid-2027.
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Facility → know → mid-2027
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment on the price difference, instead defending the purchase by pointing to the facility’s planned role in immigration enforcement.
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Department → respond → enforcement
“DHS opened the Appleton Detention Facility on November 9 to strengthen America’s ability to enforce its immigration laws and carry out the American people’s mandate for mass deportations,” a DHS spokesperson told The Center Square in a statement on Wednesday.
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spokesperson → open → Wednesday
“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 of our borders without waiting years for new construction.”
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who → give → construction
CoreCivic, one of the nation’s largest private prison operators, said in a press release that the purchase price was a “fair market value.”
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price → say → release
“The federal government's purchase price for the Prairie Correctional Facility (Appleton Detention Facility) should be understood in the context of the appraisal process that governs federal real property acquisitions, which is designed to determine objective fair market value,” CoreCivic said.
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CoreCivic → understand → value
It added that the property’s purchase price was based on independent appraisals conducted by federal government-hired appraisers, who used a cost-based methodology that accounted for replacement costs, depreciation, land value and other market factors.
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that → add → costs
The appraisal, which also accounted for significant facility renovations, was then reviewed by the government for compliance with federal standards.
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which → account → standards
CoreCivic also directly addressed the discrepancies between the $75 million and $495.6 million numbers, stating they measured “two different things at vastly different points in a valuation process.”
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they → address → process
Located about three hours west of the Twin Cities, Appleton Detention Facility sits in a town of roughly 1,400 residents.
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Facility → locate → residents
The Twin Cities saw widespread protests earlier this year during the federal immigration operation known as Metro Surge.
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Cities → see → Surge
The facility is expected to create more than 500 jobs, though some local residents have raised concerns about ICE's presence and the loss of property tax revenue for both the county and city, as federal properties are exempt from local property taxes.
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properties → expect → taxes
DHS said this new facility will be a helpful resource in its immigration operations.
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facility → say → operations
“Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe,” its spokesperson told The Center Square.
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spokesperson → conduct → Square
“It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and ensuring we have resources to carry out President Trump’s mission.”
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we → come → mission
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