Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acquired a vacant Minnesota prison for $495.6 million, despite the same facility being offered to the state for only $75 million just months prior, sparking calls for a congressional investigation into the massive overpayment.
A report reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spent $495.6 million in August to purchase the vacant Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minnesota. This acquisition, made under President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, came despite the seller, CoreCivic, having previously offered the exact same facility to the state of Minnesota for a mere $75 million, including upgrades. The state declined the earlier offer due to concerns about staffing a remote location and the cost of housing employees. Minnesota's Attorney General Keith Ellison has called for an immediate Congressional investigation, alleging that Trump, whose inaugural committee received a $500,000 donation from CoreCivic, scammed taxpayers out of nearly half a billion dollars. Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell expressed shock, calling the $420.6 million difference 'unexplainable' and 'beyond comprehension.' This Appleton prison was one of four facilities CoreCivic sold to the government for a combined $2.2 billion, and the company is also set to earn an additional $75 million annually for operating the Minnesota facility. While CoreCivic cited independent appraisers using a 'cost-based methodology,' they noted the federal government ultimately set the sale price. The Government Accountability Office had previously warned ICE about wasting taxpayer dollars and the long-term affordability of such purchases.
