- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Leavenworth Today
By the People, for the People
Judge Sides with Leavenworth in Lawsuit Against CoreCivic Over ICE Detention Center
Kansas Appeals Court grants temporary injunction, requiring CoreCivic to go through city's permitting process to reopen facility
Published on Feb. 27, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The Kansas Appeals Court has sided with the city of Leavenworth in a lawsuit against CoreCivic, the private prison operator, over the reopening of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center. The court granted a temporary injunction, requiring CoreCivic to continue going through the city's special use permit (SUP) process to obtain approval to reopen the facility, which had been shuttered since 2022.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing tensions between local governments and private prison companies over the operation of immigration detention centers. Leavenworth maintains that CoreCivic must obtain a special use permit to reopen the facility, while CoreCivic argues its contract with ICE allows it to bypass local regulations. The outcome could set a precedent for how such disputes are resolved in the future.
The details
In 2012, Leavenworth adopted an ordinance requiring a special use permit for the operation of jails or prisons. CoreCivic was grandfathered in at the time, but when its contracts with the Department of Justice expired in 2021, the facility was shuttered. CoreCivic then applied for a new SUP in 2025, but withdrew the application, claiming its ICE contract exempted it from the city's permitting process. Leavenworth sued, arguing that since the facility had been closed, CoreCivic needed to obtain a new SUP to reopen it. The Kansas Appeals Court has now sided with the city, granting a temporary injunction that requires CoreCivic to continue going through the SUP process.
- In 2012, Leavenworth adopted an ordinance requiring a special use permit for jails and prisons.
- In 2021, CoreCivic's contracts with the Department of Justice were not renewed, and the facility was shuttered as of January 1, 2022.
- In February 2025, CoreCivic applied for a special use permit, but then withdrew the application.
- In December 2025, CoreCivic submitted a new application for a special use permit.
- On February 27, 2026, the Kansas Appeals Court sided with Leavenworth and granted a temporary injunction.
The players
CoreCivic
A private prison operator that previously ran an ICE detention center in Leavenworth, Kansas.
City of Leavenworth
The local government in Leavenworth, Kansas that has been engaged in a legal battle with CoreCivic over the operation of an ICE detention center in the city.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
The federal agency that had contracted with CoreCivic to house detainees at the Leavenworth facility.
What’s next
The judge's temporary injunction means that CoreCivic must continue to go through Leavenworth's permitting process to obtain approval to reopen the ICE detention center. A final ruling in the case is still pending.
The takeaway
This legal battle between Leavenworth and CoreCivic highlights the ongoing tensions between local governments and private prison companies over the operation of immigration detention centers. The outcome could set an important precedent for how such disputes are resolved in the future.
