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ICE Pushes New Detention Facility in Virginia

ICE Seal

BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - A contract between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a Virginia county says ICE wants to accelerate the opening of a new detention facility.

The Free Lance-Star reported Wednesday that the contract asks for the "accelerated ramp-up" of a Caroline County facility for federal "administrative detainees." The newspaper obtained the contract through a public records request. The county has until July 31 to hire staff and repair the former Peumansend Creek Regional Jail enough to open one 56-bed dorm.

ICE asked for five additional dorms to open as soon as possible. The contract says ICE will provide more than $1.5 million to help. The facility will house up to 336 men and women not charged with criminal violations but held to assure their presence for hearings and possible deportation.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.