Small Tennessee Town Approves Controversial Plan for ICE Detention Center | Mason Votes Yes

In a heated decision, the tiny town of Mason, Tennessee (population ~1,300) has voted to approve agreements with private prison operator CoreCivic and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reopen the shuttered West Tennessee Detention Facility as an immigration detention center.Supporters—including Mayor Eddie Noeman—say the move will bring back jobs and revive the struggling local economy. Opponents argue it will tie the town’s identity to immigrant detention and potential human rights abuses.