09.29.2026 Call to Action
We urge Minnesota's Congressional delegation to conduct oversight visits at the Prairie Detention Center.
Description of the issue:
Inhumane treatment and medical neglect are rife throughout ICE’s detention system. So far this year, at least 27 people have died in ICE custody or within 30 days of being released. ICE has released some detainees when they are very ill and they have died shortly after.
CoreCivic is well known for its abusive detention practices, including sexual and physical abuse, medical neglect, excessive use of solitary confinement, and deprivation of food and water. The company also coerces detained immigrants into performing many day-to-day maintenance tasks of the camp through threats of punishment or loss of basic necessities.
Members of Congress have the right and responsibility to conduct unannounced inspections of ICE facilities, despite ICE’s repeated efforts to block oversight.
It’s imperative we call on our Minnesota Congressional Delegation to demand and conduct regular oversight visits to the Prairie Detention Center. What happens in a federal detention facility should not be shrouded in secrecy.
The families of those detained, Appleton residents, and all Minnesotans need to know how the people inside the Prairie Detention facility are being treated. People in detention deserve dignity, safety, the right to proper medical care, contact with family, access to counsel, and the freedom to practice their religion.
Contact Info:
Find your House and Senate members here: Who Represents Me?
Sample Script:
I’m a constituent from (your address). The immigrant detention system is inhumane, horrendously costly, and puts lives at risk. CoreCivic, which will run the Prairie Detention Center, has a well-documented track record of inhumane treatment and medical neglect of the people held within its facilities. We have no reason to believe that the Appleton facility will be an exception.
I’m asking you to do what you can to limit the suffering of the people who will be detained there. You have the right and the responsibility to conduct oversight inspections and I ask that you do that on a regular basis. I urge you to report your findings to the press and to your constituents, and demand accountability from ICE and CoreCivic for any substandard practices or conditions you may observe. Thank you.
Resources:
https://investigate.afsc.org/company/corecivic
https://nipnlg.org/news/mourning-those-who-have-died-ice-custody