1. Radio
 / Modified feb 28, 2018 3:39 p.m.

Audit: ICE Improperly Changed Eloy Deal to Get Detention Facility In Texas

ICE responded to the Inspector General audit by saying it has the unique authority to change agreements. by Matthew Casey, Fronteras Desk

ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement hero
Immigration and Customs Enforcement

PHOENIX — A newly released audit blasted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for altering a deal with the city of Eloy to get a detention facility in Texas, but the agency denied improperly changing the agreement, which now pays Eloy to act as a so-called middleman.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General did the audit. It concludes that a large immigrant detention facility in Texas is shielded from scrutiny because ICE improperly changed an agreement with the city of Eloy, instead of contracting directly with the facility’s owner, CoreCivic.

ICE now pays Eloy roughly $438,000 a year to serve as a middleman between the agency and CoreCivic, according to the audit.

The head of ICE responded via memo that the agency did not act wrongly, and it has unique power to change agreements. He also said that ICE negotiated a fair price for the Texas facility and it was later reduced.

Fronteras Desk
This story is from the Fronteras Desk, a collaboration of Southwestern public radio stations, including NPR 89.1. Read more from the Fronteras Desk.
MORE: Fronteras Desk, Immigration, Justice System, Law Enforcement, News
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona