Leavenworth files new lawsuit against company opening ICE detention facility
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCTV) - The City of Leavenworth renewed efforts to prevent an ICE detention facility from operating without permission.
Leavenworth filed a lawsuit against CoreCivic in state court. The lawsuit was filed just days after a federal judge dismissed a similar lawsuit. The judge determined the court did not have the authority to hear the case.
CoreCivic is a private prison that owns a facility in Leavenworth.
City leaders argue that the company must apply for a special use permit to reopen the facility. CoreCivic argues that the company never fully closed the prison and the previous permit issued by the city is still valid.
CoreCivic previously had a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to house people in the Leavenworth facility who were charged with but not yet convicted of federal crimes. In 2021, that contract expired and was not renewed under an executive order from then-President Joe Biden.
CoreCivic first proposed housing detainees at the Leavenworth site in late February 2025.
The company released a statement concerning the newly filed lawsuit.
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