ICE considering York County for more immigration detainees
Daily Record/Sunday News
York, PA -
York County is one of at least three locations that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering as a potential site for housing more illegal immigration detainees, according to an ICE spokeswoman.
County Commissioner Doug Hoke, who is head of the York County prison board, said the concept at this point hasn't gone beyond a brief mail exchange between the county and the federal agency. He said the board members would want more information before considering the proposal.
"It's very preliminary," Hoke said.
The ICE spokeswoman said that in addition to York County, the agency is also taking a look at two other counties that are currently housing immigration detainees - Pike County in northeastern Pennsylvania and Essex County in New Jersey.
According to Hoke, York County received a letter from ICE over the summer containing a "statement of objectives." Basically, it said ICE was interested in establishing additional housing for detainees that might accommodate anywhere from a few hundred to more than 2,000.
Hoke said the county wrote back requesting more information. In October, he said, ICE officials visited the county to look at the facilities in York County Prison where immigration detainees are currently housed.
Hoke said county officials had not heard back from ICE since then, and he was unaware that the county was on a list of finalists. He said the county might consider adding to existing facilities at York County Prison or creating a new one altogether. The concept isn't even close to any planning stages, Hoke said.
"We would certainly be interested in having the discussion," Hoke said. "We said if you want to send us a request, we'll send you some information."
York County Prison warden Mary Sabol also said the ICE communication didn't have much in the way of definite information.
"It was a very limited proposal," she said. "There was nothing specific. As with any federal project, you have to find out what we're looking for and how we would respond."
Pike County, teamed with Tennessee-based private prison management firm Corrections Corporation of America, has submitted plans for a 2,256-bed center, Pike County Commissioner Harry Forbes told the Pocono Record.
But Forbes said in an interview with the York Daily Record that his county is still awaiting word from the federal agency as well.
"I have no idea where we're at," Forbes said. "Nobody does. ICE is looking at all of them and trying to make a determination."
Currently
York County Prison houses nearly 700 detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The county charges $63.35 per day per detainee.
Who are they?
Here's a look at the two other counties in contention with York County (Pop. 424,583) for a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. Both counties currently house ICE detainees in their county prisons, according to ICE.
Pike County, Pennsylvania
This northeastern Pennsylvania county is part of the greater New York metro area. With a population estimated at 59,664 by the U.S. Census Bureau, it is the smallest county under consideration. It is named for Zebulon Montgomery Pike, an explorer for whom Pike's Peak is named. It was also the home county of former Pennsylvania Gov. Gifford Pinchot.
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is in northeastern New Jersey and is also part of the New York metro area. Its county seat is Newark, known for an airport that serves the New York City region. The HBO organized crime drama "The Sopranos" was set in the Essex County town of North Caldwell. With a population of 793,637, according to the Census, it is the third-most populous county in New Jersey, behind Bergen and Middlesex counties, and is mostly urban or suburban in nature.
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