ICE Details a New Minnesota-Based Detention Network That Spans 5 States | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoMerchSearchSearchSign InSign InDell CameronSecurityJan 20, 2026 2:12 PMICE Details a New Minnesota-Based Detention Network That Spans 5 StatesInternal ICE planning documents propose spending up to $50 million on a privately run network capable of shipping immigrants in custody hundreds of miles across the Upper Midwest.PHOTOGRAPH: Victor J. Blue/Getty ImagesSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyUnited States immigration authorities are planning to secure long-term detention and transportation capacity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across Minnesota and four neighboring states, according to an internal planning document reviewed by WIRED.The document forecasts ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations spending between $20 million and $50 million to secure jail space and establish a privately run transfer hub in Minnesota capable of moving detainees anywhere “within a 400-mile radius.”The network is forecast to reach beyond Minnesota, where ICE agents are carrying out aggressive raids, into North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska, giving the agency latitude to transfer as many as 1,000 people detained around the Twin Cities at any time up to hundreds of miles away.The plans were formed ahead of what Minnesota officials and civil rights groups describe as an “unprecedented deployment” and a “federal invasion” in court filings that seek to halt what the US government calls Operation Metro Surge. The operation has sent thousands of armed agents into the Twin Cities and has been marked by fatal use of force, street-level stops, dangerous vehicle interdictions, and mass detentions sweeping up US citizens.The deployment has sparked repeated protests in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, including marches to downtown hotels where demonstrators said federal agents were staying, and confrontations that have drawn arrests and widespread use of tear gas and chemical irritants. In court, a federal judge set restrictions on federal agents participating in Metro Surge from using force against peaceful protesters and observers. The Trump administration is appealing the ruling.The backlash has spread well beyond Minnesota after organizers called for an “ICE Out for Good” weekend of action, with more than 1,000 protests and rallies nationwide.ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The surge came amid months of efforts by ICE to anchor a regional transfer hub in the Upper Midwest, with federal planning documents from last year pointing to a prison in Appleton, Minnesota, as a potential site. Those records outlined a nationwide expansion of detention capacity and a move to mega-facilities that can house a thousand people or more.Got a Tip?Are you a current or former government employee who wants to talk about US immigration authorities? We'd like to hear from you. Using a nonwork phone or computer, contact the reporter securely on Signal at dell.3030.Internal planning and subsequent public reporting in August 2025 placed Appleton’s long-shuttered Prairie Correctional Facility at the center of that push: a ready-made, 1,600-bed prison that could absorb detainees taken into custody across the region. CoreCivic, which owns the facility, acknowledged at the time that it was pursuing federal opportunities, while Appleton officials said no contract was in place.Over time, the prospect of resurrecting the dormant prison hardened into a local conflict. Clergy and immigrant advocates organized against reopening the facility in October, warning it would bind a rural town to mass-detention decisions made elsewhere and normalize long-distance transfers preceding deportation. Supporters countered that reopening the prison would bring back jobs that were lost after it closed in 2010.In a statement, CoreCivic spokesperson Brian Todd says 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 to issuing a solicitation or directly awarding a contract in the coming months. Planning documents show it anticipates an award in early 2026.Appleton city administrator John Olinger tells WIRED he has had no contact with ICE or CoreCivic since the matter came up last fall. “The city has no authority to reject the plan,” he says. “The prison is allowed within the zone and thus does not need any approval.”You Might Also LikeIn your inbox: WIRED's most ambitious, future-defining storiesThe ‘super flu’ is spreadingBig Interview: Margaret Atwood wants to keep up with the latest doomThe age of the all-access AI agent Is hereLivestream AMA: Welcome to the Chinese centuryDell Cameron is an investigative reporter from Texas covering privacy and national security. He's the recipient of multiple Society of Professional Journalists awards and is co-recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting. Previously, he was a senior reporter at Gizmodo and a staff writer for the Daily ... 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The Internal Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) planning documents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detail a significant shift in operational strategy, focusing on establishing a privately-run detention and transportation network across five Midwestern states – Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska. This initiative, projected to cost between $20 million and $50 million, represents a deliberate move towards consolidating detention capacity and streamlining the movement of detainees within a 400-mile radius. The core of this network centers around a proposed hub in Minnesota, initially targeting the resurrected Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minnesota, a 1,600-bed facility previously shuttered in 2010.

The impetus for this expansion stems from increasingly aggressive ICE enforcement actions within the Twin Cities metropolitan area, documented as “Operation Metro Surge,” a deployment characterized by high-volume raids, the use of lethal force resulting in fatalities, street-level stops, vehicle interdictions, and mass detentions. This surge triggered widespread protests and civil rights concerns, leading to restrictions placed on federal agents participating in the operation. The subsequent “ICE Out for Good” weekend of action, involving over 1,000 protests nationwide, further underscored the escalating tensions.

The project’s architecture incorporates a significant private sector component. CoreCivic, the owner of the Appleton facility, engaged in discussions regarding federal opportunities, while the city of Appleton acknowledged no contractual agreements were in place; however, the facility’s zoning permit allows its operation within the designated zone, removing the necessity for any specific approvals. This reliance on private partnerships reflects a strategic effort by ICE to mitigate certain operational risks and potentially reduce bureaucratic hurdles associated with government-run facilities.

However, the initiative has met with considerable local opposition. Clergy and immigrant advocacy groups actively campaigned against the reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility, arguing that it would bind a rural community to mass-detention decisions made elsewhere and normalize long-distance transfers preceding deportation. The debate over the facility’s potential resurgence highlights the broader conflict between federal enforcement priorities and local concerns regarding community safety, civil liberties, and the potential impacts of immigration enforcement on local economies and social structures.

The project’s potential implications are far-reaching. Beyond the immediate operational effects of bolstering ICE’s detention capacity, the network’s implementation raises profound questions about the future of immigration enforcement, the role of private companies in law enforcement, and the balance between national security and individual rights. The eventual award of a contract, anticipated in early 2026, will solidify this new operational framework, signaling a further escalation in ICE's utilization of private partnerships to fulfill its detention missions. This endeavor is inextricably linked with the ongoing legal battles and public scrutiny surrounding “Operation Metro Surge,” and the network's success – or failure – will undoubtedly shape the landscape of U.S. immigration policy for years to come.