A new detention center in North Texas that will hold about 700 immigrants, including three dozen transgender migrants, is raising questions among everyone from neighbors to deportation-enthused politicians to advocates for immigrants and transgender persons.
The Dallas Morning News reports that the Prairieland Detention Center in the small town of Alvarado is a sprawling facility that features 14-foot-tall fences and a high-security lobby.
An official at the center about 40 miles south of Dallas says detained immigrants could begin arriving as soon as late this month. A U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement official says it will more likely open in January.
The privately-run center, whose construction was publicly funded, has a type of federal contract that guarantees payments no matter how many or few people are detained there.
