ICE Plans 1,400-Bed Detention Center at Rivers; Camden Tribune Seeks County Records

WINTON, N.C. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly plans to reopen the privately owned Rivers Correctional Facility in Hertford County as a 1,400-bed immigration detention center, potentially making it one of the largest facilities of its kind on the East Coast.

WITN reported Friday that internal documents reviewed by The New York Times show ICE intends to convert the closed prison into an immigration detention center and reopen it this fall.

WUNC reported that the facility could open before the end of 2026. ICE and The GEO Group, the private company that owns the property, did not respond to WUNC’s requests for comment.

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina said Thursday that contract negotiations were still underway. That means the reported plan is more advanced than the proposal disclosed earlier this year, but the terms, cost and final status of any ICE contract have not been publicly released.

Camden Tribune requests county records

Camden Tribune submitted a public-records request Friday seeking Hertford County emails, text messages, letters, meeting records, permit applications, inspection documents, contracts and service agreements concerning GEO Group, Rivers Correctional Facility, ICE, immigration detention and the proposed reopening.

The request covers records dating back to Jan. 1, 2025, and asks the county to search records maintained by the Board of Commissioners, county administration, planning officials, inspectors, emergency services, the sheriff’s office and other departments that could be involved in preparing for the facility.

The newspaper is specifically seeking records that could establish:

• When Hertford County officials first learned of the ICE proposal;
• Whether GEO Group, ICE or another federal agency contacted the county;
• Whether renovations, inspections or permits have been requested;
• Whether the county may provide emergency, medical, fire, law-enforcement, water or sewer services;
• Whether any reimbursement or service agreements have been discussed; and
• Whether GEO Group or another party requested tax incentives or economic-development assistance.

Under the North Carolina Public Records Act, records made or received by county officials while conducting public business generally belong to the public unless a specific law makes them confidential.

Residents raised the issue months earlier

The latest reports follow months of public concern in Hertford County.

Minutes from the Hertford County Board of Commissioners’ Feb. 16 meeting show that residents from Winton, Ahoskie, Cofield, Aulander, Murfreesboro and other communities addressed the board in opposition to reopening the former prison for ICE.

The minutes state that commissioners told the audience the governing board was not responsible for GEO or Rivers and had not been contacted by prison officials.

That statement creates a central question for county officials now: What contact, if any, has occurred since the February meeting?

About 50 people later gathered in Ahoskie for a March protest against the proposal, according to WITN.

Documents disclosed earlier this year stated that GEO could fully activate the facility within 90 days of receiving a contract award.

Capacity figures have varied

Publicly reported capacity figures for Rivers have not been consistent.

The latest internal documents reportedly describe a 1,400-bed facility. Earlier reporting described the proposed ICE operation as having about 1,300 beds.

In a March 2026 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, GEO listed Rivers as an idle facility with a design capacity of 1,320 beds and a net carrying value of approximately $35.8 million.

Older GEO filings described Rivers as a 1,450-bed federal prison. The company reported that its previous Federal Bureau of Prisons contract expired on March 31, 2021, and had generated approximately $43 million in annualized revenue.

Camden Tribune has asked county officials for records that may clarify the proposed operating capacity, construction needs and anticipated opening schedule.

Governor opposes the proposal

Gov. Josh Stein said Friday that the property is not owned by the state and that he did not approve the transaction.

“Like many other North Carolinians, I do not want it in our state. ICE and Border Patrol have not earned our trust,” Stein said in a statement reported by WUNC.

Supporters of reopening the facility may point to the jobs and economic activity a large employer could bring to rural Hertford County. Rivers employed hundreds of people before its previous federal contract ended.

Opponents have focused on detention conditions, immigration policy and GEO Group’s history operating the property.

A 2016 review by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General found that privately operated federal contract prisons experienced more safety and security incidents per capita in most categories examined than comparable government-run institutions. Those findings covered the broader federal contract-prison system, which included Rivers at the time.

Key information remains undisclosed

Neither the complete ICE contract nor its anticipated cost, duration, guaranteed occupancy, staffing requirements or reimbursement provisions have been made public.

It is also unclear whether Hertford County would be expected to provide emergency medical response, fire protection, hospital transportation, law-enforcement assistance or public utilities for the facility.

Camden Tribune requested that Hertford County release responsive records on a rolling basis instead of waiting until every document has been reviewed.

The newspaper will publish the records and responses from county, federal and GEO Group officials as they become available.

This is a developing story. Camden Tribune will update this report when Hertford County responds to the public-records request or when ICE or GEO Group releases additional information.

Have information about the Rivers proposal? Contact Camden Tribune at [email protected].