CoreCivic sells Leavenworth, Kansas detention center to DHS

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Leavenworth, Kansas, has been sold to the U.S. government less than six months after the founding company fought to get the facility up and running.

CoreCivic, the largest detention facility owner in the U.S., sold its Midwest Regional Reception Center, formerly known as the Leavenworth Detention Center, to the Department of Homeland Security last week for $238.4 million. Over the last month, CoreCivic has sold four of its facilities and still owns 61 correctional, detention and reentry institutions.

“We are further demonstrating the value of the Company’s underlying real estate portfolio through the sales of our Prairie Correctional Facility and Midwest Regional Reception Center, following our sales of two detention centers in California last month,” CoreCivic President and CEO Patrick Swindle said in a press release. “We remain committed to growing the Company’s businesses and returning value to our shareholders, while remaining a dependable and flexible partner for government.”

The Kansas detention center closed down in 2021 due to understaffing and poor conditions and reopened in March after months of public debate. More than 100 residents attended the March 10 city commission meeting that approved CoreCivic for a special use permit with the city in a 4-1 vote, allowing it to reopen the detention center.

The 1,033-bed facility was allowed to remain open as long as CoreCivic abided by the 17 conditions listed in the special use permit, which was set to last three years. The status of the permit remains uncertain with the facility’s new owner, and the city of Leavenworth said it’s reviewing available information with legal counsel.

“The City has not had any direct communication with DHS or ICE regarding the sale of the facility,” the city said in a statement. “We remain committed to the open dialogue between the City and CoreCivic that we have established over these last few months.”

CoreCivic says it plans to continue managing the Leavenworth facility under its current contracted terms with ICE, which are set to expire in September 2027. However, the company notes, DHS could change the contract, and CoreCivic’s continued management of the detention center isn’t guaranteed.