ICE Uses No-Bid Contracts to Expand Detention Beds

Leavenworth, Kansas, famously known for its historic federal penitentiary that housed criminals like Al Capone, is set to detain migrants under President Donald Trump's aggressive mass deportation policies. The federal government has contracted private prison firm CoreCivic Corp. to reopen a 1,033-bed prison in Leavenworth, part of a broader ICE initiative to rapidly increase detention capacity through no-bid contracts citing "compelling urgency." This surge in detention beds has benefited politically connected private companies such as CoreCivic and The Geo Group, with ICE modifying multiple agreements to expand facilities and support enforcement operations. However, the reopening faces local resistance, including a lawsuit from Leavenworth city officials opposing CoreCivic's attempt to reopen the prison without local approval, highlighting tensions over the administration's enforcement tactics. These developments reflect broader controversies over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategies, which include substantial contracts for administrative support teams led by former federal immigration officials. The case in Leavenworth serves as a key example testing the limits of the current administration's approach to migrant removals and the privatization of detention facilities.