Trump’s Immigration Policy Shows Why Jails Are Risky Investments

James Diossa, a Democrat and the first Latino mayor of Central Falls, R.I., took the floor at a community meeting in March and called for the closure of the Wyatt Detention Facility, a 700-bed detention center for undocumented immigrants with $130 million of debt outstanding. “As someone whose own family walked across the border in search of the American dream, I cannot and will not stand by as the Wyatt attempts to profit from the exploitation of human misery and the separation of families,” Diossa said.

Jails and detention centers, once looked upon as cash cows for struggling municipalities, are now caught up in the bitter national debate over immigration. With President Donald Trump moving aggressively to detain and deport undocumented individuals, some local governments are bridling at being in business with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The money ICE pays detention centers ($114.87 per detainee per day, in the case of the Central Falls facility) can sometimes represent their biggest source of revenue.