EVANSTON, Wyo. -- Uinta County commissioners are moving forward with plans to allow CoreCivic, formerly known as the Corrections Corporation of America, to construct a for-profit immigrant-detention facility in Evanston. But critics warn the move could put state taxpayers on the hook if anything goes wrong and class-action suits are filed.

Antonio Serrano, organizer with the ACLU of Wyoming, said the prison should not be built without the approval of the state's top five elected officials.

"And if they build it in the way that they're trying to do it, and use the process they're trying to go through, dodging Wyoming law, they're opening a door to a facility that is going to have no local oversight, no accountability," Serrarno said. "It's going to open a door that we'll never be able to close here in Wyoming."

Serrano's group sent a letter to Gov. Mark Gordon, as well as the secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor and superintendent of public instruction, reminding them that Wyoming law requires their approval for private incarceration facilities. Last month, commissioners approved the transfer of approximately 63 acres of county property to CoreCivic for the detention center. Commissioners have said the facility is not technically a prison, and say the move will bring jobs.

But the ACLU disagrees, and has argued the proposed facility meets the definition of a prison, jail or incarceration facility under Wyoming law. Serrano said CoreCivic has a reputation of using forced inmate labor to reduce the number of paid staff, and noted former workers have painted a pretty bleak picture of what kinds of jobs will be available.

"I've talked with former CoreCivic employees. The entire town ends up working there and quitting because they just can't handle it, because it's so stressful," he said. "It's long hours, they don't pay well, they don't treat you well, and then they make you do things that you don't want to do to human beings."

The ACLU has asked the state's top five elected officials to revisit the issue, noting in their letter the Wyoming law in question is a critical tool that can ensure that all detainees held in a private facility are treated with respect and dignity.


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Advocates for immigrants are pushing back on a bill signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in the last few days of the legislative session, modeled on a recent, controversial Texas law.

Senate File 2340 gives local law enforcement officers and judges the authority to deport undocumented immigrants.

Erica Johnson, executive director of the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, argued the bill is an overreach, and said Iowa law enforcement officers are not authorized to enforce it.

"This is a pretty clear intervention into federal territory," Johnson pointed out. "U.S. immigration law is governed by federal law."

Much like the author of the Texas bill, supporters in Iowa blame the Biden administration for failing to slow illegal immigration, so the state has decided to take matters into its own hands.

Johnson contended the bill and other anti-immigrant sentiment during the just-completed legislative session target the very people Iowa, with its dwindling population, will depend on for its future workforce.

"What we need is communities that are safe, where workers have access to dignified, safe workplaces," Johnson emphasized. "The truth of what Iowa's future could be depends on immigrants and immigrant workers in our state, and unfortunately, this law could take us back, away from that possible future. "

Johnson added her organization will pursue legal ways to block the bill from taking effect in July.


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The future of Senate Bill 4 is still tangled in court challenges. It's the Texas law that would allow police to arrest people for illegally crossing the border. But groups are speaking out about the impact of "Operation Lone Star" on the youngest migrants. Governor Greg Abbott continues to bus migrant families to other states, many with young children - more than 100,000 families so far.

Robert Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk, works to improve the quality of life for boys and girls in Texas, and contends the policy has put trauma on top of trauma.

"We never want children to be political pawns. We don't want maximum chaos on the backs of children. We want children to grow up and be assets for our community," he contended.

Sanborn points out that 2.2 million children in Texas are immigrants, and said it would be less stressful for kids if families were not bused in the middle of the night, and if they were allowed to pick their destination.

When immigrants arrive at the border, they are evaluated to determine if they're eligible for asylum.

Beatriz Zavala, clinical coordinator at El Paso-based Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health, or "HOME," said the children in this situation are at higher risk for mental health disorders.

"What is particularly troubling is the profound disregard for the stability and protection these families need. The impact on their mental health is undeniable. These are not just statistics. These are children, real children," she said.

As part of Operation Lone Star, families have been bused to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The governor has said the practice is needed to keep the Texas-Mexico border safe.


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Legislation in Albany would create the first right to counsel for people in immigration court.

The Access to Representation Act would provide immigrants the right to an attorney in their New York immigration cases, ending the tendency to represent themselves if they cannot afford one.

Estimates show a backlog of more than 330,000 immigration court cases, and fewer than half have attorneys. Studies show without legal counsel, migrants are less likely to remain in the U.S.

Marlene Galaz, director of immigrant rights policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, described what the bill would do.

"It has a six-year ramp-up to start implementing and building infrastructure," Galaz outlined. "Having a pipeline between law schools for law students to go into immigration practice, and getting to nonprofits and so on."

Galaz noted most opposition centers around the $150 million to fund the program but pointed out the total expenditure is less than 1% of the state's $229 billion budget. She added anti-immigrant rhetoric has also damaged support for the bill. Currently, it is in the state Senate Finance Committee.

The New York City Comptroller's office said enacting the bill would benefit the state financially. It could keep about 53,000 people from being deported, which would result in almost $8.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes over the next 30 years.

Galaz emphasized the influx of migrants has saturated the court system, leading to what could have been an avoidable backlog.

"I firmly believe that if these investments had been made when we first asked for them, I believe, like, three years ago, then we wouldn't be struggling," Galaz contended. "We would have had the infrastructure built to address an increase in welcoming our newest neighbors."

A Vera Institute survey showed 93% of New Yorkers across party lines and regions support access to attorneys for all people, including those in immigration court, and government-funded attorneys for them.


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