ICE details new detention network based in Minnesota and spanning 5 states

United States Immigration The authorities plan to secure long-term detention and provide transportation capacity for them Immigration and customs operations Defeat Minnesota and four neighboring states, according to an internal planning document reviewed by WIRED.

The document expects ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations to spend between $20 million and $50 million to secure prison space and create a privately run transportation center in Minnesota capable of transporting detainees anywhere “within a 400-mile radius.”

The network is expected to reach far beyond Minnesota, where ICE agents are conducting enforcement Aggressive raidsto North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska, giving the agency freedom of movement to move up to 1,000 people in custody around the Twin Cities at any given time over a distance of up to hundreds of miles.

The plans were made ahead of what Minnesota officials and civil rights groups described as an “unprecedented outbreak.” ‘Federal Invasion’ in Court Files Which seeks to stop what the US government calls Operation Metro Surge. The operation sent thousands of armed agents into the Twin Cities and was marked with Deadly use of forceStreet stops, interceptions of dangerous vehicles, and mass arrests of American citizens.

The deployment sparked repeated protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul, including marches to downtown hotels where protesters said federal agents were staying, and confrontations that led to arrests and widespread use of tear gas and chemical irritants. In court, a federal judge placed restrictions on federal agents involved in MetroSurge regarding the use of force against peaceful protesters and observers. The Trump administration is appealing the ruling.

Backlash spreads beyond Minnesota after organizers call for ‘ICE Out for Good’ Weekend from workwith more than 1,000 protests and marches across the country.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The increase came amid months of efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to anchor a regional transportation hub in the upper Midwest, with federal planning documents from last year pointing to a prison in Appleton, Minnesota, as a possible location. These records identified the expansion of detention capacity nationwide and the move to large facilities that could hold a thousand or more people.

Interior planning and Subsequent public reports In August 2025, the long-closed Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton was placed at the center of that campaign: a prefabricated 1,600-bed prison that could accommodate detainees held throughout the region. CoreCivic, which owns the facility, acknowledged at the time that it was pursuing federal opportunities, while Appleton officials said no contract had been made.

As time passed, the prospects for reviving the dormant prison became more dire To a local conflict. Clergy and immigrant advocates Organized against reopening the facility In October, it warned it would hold a rural town accountable for mass detention decisions made elsewhere and normalize long-distance transfers before deportation. Supporters countered that reopening the prison would bring back jobs lost after it closed in 2010.

In a statement, CoreCivic spokesman Brian Todd said the company continues to “ensure the facility is properly maintained” and “explore opportunities with our government partners for which this site could be a viable solution.”

Under federal acquisition rules, ICE may proceed with a solicitation or contract award outright in the coming months. Planning documents show it expects to receive the award in early 2026.

Appleton City Manager John Olinger told WIRED he hasn’t had any contact with ICE or CoreCivic since the matter came to light last fall. “The city has no authority to reject the plan,” he says. “The prison is permitted within the area and therefore does not require any approval.”