APPLETON, Minn. — A coalition opposing the possible reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility as a
U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement
detention center called on Appleton, Minnesota, civic leaders to pause their conversations with the private prison company.
“We ask city officials to set aside any plans for the Prairie Correctional Facility and instead partner with residents and community groups to invest in Appleton’s future, focusing on community and not detention,” said Therese Quinn, an Appleton area resident.
She spoke to a gathering of more than 50 people who rallied on the lawn of the Appleton City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Speakers said they represented a coalition of faith and community groups, including representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, CURE, Disciples Public Presence and Immigrant Defense Network.
Attendees bow their heads as they join in prayer during the rally to voice opposition to the possible reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton for use as a detention center by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The rally was held on the grounds of the Appleton City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
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the 1,600-bed facility has not held inmates since 2010. Its reopening would more than triple the number of immigrant detention beds in the state, speakers at the rally said.
The possible reopening has thrust the small community into the national debate over immigration policy and the escalation of enforcement: As speakers decried the possible reopening, a white pickup truck with two American flags and a sign reading “Welcome ICE” circled the area a few times.
One community resident voiced her support for the facility’s reopening to the Rev. Jeffrey Fitzkappes of Trinity Lutheran Church, an ELCA parish in Montevideo, moments after he addressed the crowd.
“We recognize the difficulty this may cause economically in this and surrounding communities,” said Fitzkappes when speaking to those who gathered. “And we gather together to find new ways forward for the prospering of all people. But we will not accept money that comes with human cruelty.”
It was a theme repeated by religious leaders who spoke at the rally. “Prisons are built for punishment, not for people seeking safety,” said Archdeacon Rena Romero of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota.
The Rev. Daniel Romero, of Disciples Public Presence, tells those attending the prayer vigil at the Appleton City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, that if the private prison in the community reopens, “it will no longer be known to the public or to people of faith as the Prairie Correctional Facility. It’s going to be the Appleton family separation center. Profiting from human suffering will rule the day.”
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
“We don’t believe that a mass detention center in the middle of this state is in the best interest of anyone. Frankly, no one,” said Bishop Jen Nagel of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The possibility of the use of the Prairie Correctional Facility by ICE became public when The Washington Post reported earlier that it was on a list of sites being considered by the federal agency. Congress has allocated $45 billion for new detention centers in recent legislation.
Organizers of the rally said they believe CoreCivic is in the process of preparing the Appleton facility for its use by ICE. Just over a week ago, a helicopter was used to lift materials onto the facility’s roof.
“We continue to explore opportunities with our government partners for which our Prairie Correctional Facility could be a viable solution,” Brian Todd, CoreCivic manager for public affairs, wrote in an email to the West Central Tribune when asked about the work at the facility. “During the process, we continue to take steps to ensure the facility is properly maintained.”
Attendees at the prayer vigil Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Appleton hear speakers telling the stories of two immigrants who had been taken into custody in Minnesota and returned to their home countries, leaving spouses and children behind. The prayer vigil was held on the grounds of the Appleton City Hall and hosted by a coalition of faith and community groups opposed to the possible reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton for use as a detention center by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
CoreCivic’s public affairs manager emphasized in the email that the company has a “zero-tolerance policy not to advocate for or against any legislation that serves as the basis for — or determines the duration — of an individual’s detention. CoreCivic does not enforce immigration laws, arrest anyone who may be in violation of immigration laws, or have any say whatsoever in an individual’s deportation or release.”
The stories of two immigrants who were taken into custody and separated from their families in Minnesota before being deported to their home counties in Central and South America were told by speakers during the rally.
Both men described being taken unexpectedly into custody and moved in just a matter of days from the Sherburne County Jail to a facility in Louisiana before being flown to their home countries.
“In 11 days, I lost everything I had worked for in Minnesota for 20 years, including mine and my family’s happiness,” read the statement from a man identified as Mario.
He described being “treated worse than an animal” while in custody.
Darwin Dyce holds a sign with the words to a song those attending the prayer vigil on the lawn of the Appleton City Hall joined in singing on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune
Along with hearing the stories of the two who were deported, those gathered at the event joined in prayer as well as song. Nagel told the crowd that the economic struggles that Appleton has experienced are recognized, and the potential that the prison’s re-opening would benefit the local economy.
But she said: “This is one of the ways, my friends, one of the ways that vulnerable communities and oppressed communities are pitted against each other.”
Quinn and other speakers said civic leaders and CoreCivic have not communicated to the public about the possible opening.
“It is going to be the family separation center. Profiting from human suffering will rule the day,” said the Rev. Daniel Romero of Disciples Public Presence.
At the rally’s end, Romero and Quinn led others to the Appleton City Hall to present a letter demanding transparency, an opportunity for public discussion, a full investigation into the treatment of detainees, and a health inspection of the prison facility.
Coalition representatives said they will be hosting a community meeting on Nov. 5.
Appleton area resident Therese Quinn, left, and the Rev. Daniel Romero lead a group to the offices of the Appleton City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, to present a letter demanding transparency in the discussions of the possible reopening of the Prairie Correctional Facility for use as a detention center for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They delivered the letter following a prayer vigil on the lawn of the City Hall.
Tom Cherveny / West Central Tribune