Mason town votes to reopen detention facility as ICE site

08/16/2025 / By Laura Harris

On Aug. 12, Mason’s mayor and board of aldermen approved contracts to reopen the West Tennessee Detention Facility as an ICE detention center operated by private prison company CoreCivic.
The 600-bed facility in Tipton County was closed in 2021 following a federal phase-out of private prison contracts under the Biden administration.
Mason Mayor Eddie Noeman supports the reopening as an economic opportunity to restore lost jobs, while civil rights groups like the ACLU and Tennessee for All oppose the move, citing concerns about immigration policy and private detention.
Mason residents are divided. Some welcome the potential economic benefits, while others worry about the town’s association with federal immigration enforcement.
Conservative leaders, including Rep. Debra Moody, praised the plan as a tool for national immigration enforcement and public safety, aligning the facility with broader Republican immigration policies.

Leaders in the rural town of Mason voted on Aug. 12 to approve contracts that will reopen the shuttered West Tennessee Detention Facility as a site for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The decision, approved during a special meeting of the Mason mayor and board of aldermen, allows private prison operator CoreCivic to resume operations at the 600-bed facility located in Tipton County. The detention center closed in 2021 after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) began phasing out the use of private prisons under an executive order of former President Joe Biden.

Now, with a new agreement in place, CoreCivic plans to reopen the facility under contract with ICE, though no specific timeline has been announced. The site will become the only ICE detention center in West Tennessee, with the nearest alternatives currently in Mississippi and Arkansas. (Related: Trump administration greenlights $1.26 billion mega-detention center at Fort Bliss.)

“For more than 40 years, CoreCivic has played a limited but important role in America’s immigration system, which we have done for every administration – Democrat and Republican. We are grateful to the City of Mason, Mayor Eddie Noeman and the Board of Alderman members for supporting our opportunity to serve and meet the needs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at our West Tennessee Detention Facility (WTDF). We’re proud to continue our long-standing relationship within the Mason and Tipton County community, going back nearly 35 years.

While we don’t have a timeline to share regarding when the facility will become operational, it’s important that the people of Mason and the surrounding areas hear directly from us about the facility – what it will mean, what it won’t mean, and our continued desire to be a positive and valued community partner,” CoreCivic wrote in its official statement following the vote.

Proposed Mason ICE facility sparks fierce debate over jobs, immigration and town identity

The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from civil rights groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and local grassroots organization Tennessee for All, which urged the town’s board to reject the contract during the meeting.

Even residents of Mason expressed mixed opinions during the public meeting. Some residents welcomed the economic boost the facility promises, while others raised concerns about its implications for immigration policy and the town’s identity.

But despite all this, conservative leaders have voiced strong support.

“President Donald Trump is making America safe again by securing our southern border and enforcing immigration laws. Tennessee Republicans are leading the nation in assisting the federal government with these efforts. The Town of Mason will be instrumental in streamlining the immigration proceedings process and getting violent criminal illegal immigrants off our streets. I fully support this planned detention center and remain committed to protecting Tennesseans from the burden and danger of illegal immigration,” Rep. Debra Moody (R-TN) said.

Meanwhile, Noeman said he’s simply focused on bringing jobs back to the community, many of which were lost when the facility previously shut down.

“It’s good for the town. I am just looking in the best interest of the town,” he said. “CoreCivic wants to open it back, and I told them you’re welcome, no problem. I like any kind of business.”

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Watch this video that shows life inside the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

This video is from the harrier808 channel on Brighteon.com.