MASON, Tenn. (WKRN) — The small town of Mason is moving forward with plans to reopen a closed prison as an ICE detention center operated by the private, Tennessee-based company, CoreCivic.
Town leaders voted Tuesday to approve a contract with CoreCivic and ICE, despite major opposition from Mason residents.
“When ICE comes in, get ready to pack up, get ready to ditch…because this town will not be safe anymore,” one Mason neighbor said during the meeting.
According to CoreCivic, the ICE facility will create around 240 jobs, generate $350,000 in property taxes, and another $200,000 in an annual impact fee for the town’s economic development.
However, for CoreCivic, the deal is part of a long-standing relationship with ICE, which company executives said during an earnings call late last week has been their biggest customer for more than a decade. According to information shared during the call, CoreCivic’s revenue from ICE alone increased by almost $25.9 million, or 17%, in the 2nd quarter of 2025, and ICE’s population in CoreCivic prisons increased by 28%. Officials said funding for immigration detention is at historic levels and will likely remain strong during the Trump Administration, thanks to the president’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill.”
During the chaotic and noisy meeting Tuesday, Mason Mayor Eddie Noeman told the crowd the deal is a “win-win situation” for the town of Mason, which was met with boo’s.
“Why do you want this over here?” one resident asked.
“I want the jobs… jobs,” Mayor Noeman said. “People are sitting over here with no jobs. What’s the problem? We don’t have to argue with that.”
CoreCivic issued NewsNation WKRN the following statement about the Mason facility:
“For more than 40 years, CoreCivic has played a limited but important role in America’s immigration system, which we have done for every administration – Democrat and Republican. We are grateful to the City of Mason, Mayor Eddie Noeman and the Board of Alderman members for supporting our opportunity to serve and meet the needs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at our West Tennessee Detention Facility (WTDF). We’re proud to continue our long-standing relationship within the Mason and Tipton County community, going back nearly 35 years.
While we don’t have a timeline to share regarding when the facility will become operational, it’s important that the people of Mason and the surrounding areas hear directly from us about the facility—what it will mean, what it won’t mean, and our continued desire to be a positive and valued community partner.
The services we provide help the government solve problems in ways it could not do alone – to help create safer communities by assisting with the current immigration challenges, dramatically improve the standard of care for vulnerable people, and meet other critical needs efficiently and innovatively. These are problems the American public has made clear they want fixed.
It’s also important to understand that CoreCivic has a long-standing, zero-tolerance policy not to advocate for or against any legislation that serves as the basis for – or determines the duration of – an individual’s detention. CoreCivic does not enforce immigration laws, arrest anyone who may be in violation of immigration laws, or have any say whatsoever in an individual’s deportation or release. CoreCivic also does not know the circumstances of individuals when they are placed in our facilities. Our responsibility is to care for each person respectfully and humanely while they receive the legal due process that they are entitled to.
The opportunity to serve ICE at WTDF will bring opportunities to recruit qualified staff by:
- Creating nearly 240 new jobs for local residents and those who may want to move into the local community. Already, over 2,100 unique job seekers have submitted 3,375 applications for the available positions.
- Offering a starting salary of $26.50 per hour for detention officers.
- Providing competitive benefits for staff like medical, dental and vision insurance coverage, a matching 401(k), paid leave, health advocacy services, financial wellness services, an employee assistance program and our tuition assistance scholarship fund.
- The facility would also generate approximately $325,000 in annual property taxes, as well as an annual impact fee to the City of Mason of over $200,000, which could be used for local schools, infrastructure improvements and other important projects.
As important as it is to understand the many benefits of what this opportunity can create, it’s just as important to know what it – and our company – will not do:
- We will not operate without direct, onsite oversight from our government partners.
- We do not and will not lobby on any policies, regulations or legislation that impact the basis for or duration of an individual’s detention.
- We do not and will not enforce any immigration laws, arrest anyone who may be in violation of immigration laws, or have any say whatsoever in an individual’s deportation or release.”