ICE contractor signs deal to reopen Arizona prison as immigration detention center

A private prison operator has signed a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to reopen a shuttered Marana prison as an immigration detention center, with operations expected to begin within 60 days.

Management & Training Corp. said it signed the agreement on Tuesday. The company described the site as a 775-bed facility expected to employ about 338 full-time workers once it’s fully running.

MTC ran the prison for Arizona for nearly 30 years before the state closed it in late 2023.

U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, who represents Marana, criticized the deal Wednesday. She raised concerns about how detainees would be cared for, the company’s track record and how many people the facility would hold.

The company said it would meet or go beyond ICE’s National Detention Standards and treat detainees with compassion.

“DHS is once again rushing to open another private detention facility over the objections of local residents,” Grijalva said in a statement.

In February, ICE posted a notice saying it planned to give MTC a two-year contract without seeking bids from other companies.

MTC would provide housing, guards, meals, medical care and transportation for detainees. The notice said the facility could hold up to 775 people, but a separate document laying out the facility details says it will house 513 detainees.

MTC’s announcement did not disclose the final contract’s value.

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