WINTON, N.C. (NCN News) – A Florida-based company has reached a deal with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house detainees at a closed North Carolina private prison.
The GEO group announced that the company has entered into a five-year support services contract with ICE for the activation of a federal immigration processing center at the GEO-owned, 1,320-bed Rivers in Winton, North Carolina.
According to a statement, the support services contract is expected to generate approximately $80 million in annual revenues in the first full year of operations. GEO’s support services are expected to include the exclusive use of the Facility by ICE, along with security, maintenance, and food services, as well as access to recreational amenities, medical care, and legal counsel.
The move is not without its critics, among them Governor Josh Stein who said on social media that: “The planned ICE detention center in Winton is not state-owned, and I did not approve this transaction . Like many other North Carolinians, I do not want it in our state. ICE and Border Patrol have not earned our trust.”
Protests against the reopening of Rivers have been taking place in Hertford County since March.
George C. Zoley, GEO’s Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, said, “We expect that our company-owned Rivers Facility in Winton, North Carolina will play an important role in helping meet the need for increased federal immigration processing center bedspace. We are proud of our 40-year public-private partnership with ICE, and we stand ready to continue to assist the federal government in meeting its immigration enforcement priorities.”