Overview
- Mason leaders voted to convert the 600-bed West Tennessee Detention Facility into an ICE detention center operated by CoreCivic under approved contracts.
- CoreCivic plans to hire about 240 employees, including detention officers at $26.50 per hour, and projects additional tax revenue for the town's budget.
- Dozens of residents and advocacy groups opposed the decision in a raucous public meeting, citing concerns over transparency and immigrant welfare.
- The company has incurred $44.7 million in state fines since 2022 and paid more than $4.4 million to settle around 80 lawsuits alleging mistreatment and inmate deaths.
- No reopening timeline or detainee capacity has been set, and related ICE facility partnerships in Florida and Indiana face ongoing litigation.