CCA defends operations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The company that runs an immigration detention center in Gainesville is defending its operations in the face of nationwide protests Thursday against its lockups.

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) says it has worked in partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a quarter of a century. In that capacity, "we meet the expressed needs of ICE for detention services and bed space at multiple facilities, including the North Georgia Detention Center," according to a statement CCA released Thursday afternoon.

CCA provides services for immigration detention but as a company does not take a position with respect to the broader immigration policy. However, the statement says, "CCA strives to humanely operate a safe, secure facility that upholds the dignity of all detainees entrusted to our care. We are contractually required by ICE to meet or exceed their comprehensive detention standards. Failure to meet these high standards can result in the immediate removal of detainees and penalties up to and including termination of contract."

CCA goes on to say it is worth noting that ICE maintains an on-site staff presence at North Georgia. These full-time ICE employees enable the agency to ensure contract compliance, provide another path for detainees to communicate their needs or concerns, and expedite resolutions when problems arise. Furthermore, the facility is accessed by federal, state and local government officials as well as immigration attorneys and advocates. In short, the level of oversight and scrutiny in these facilities is great.

"Every day our hard working, dedicated employees at North Georgia provide a safe and secure environment for the detainees entrusted to our care, and do so in a professional manner that respects the dignity of every individual," according to the statement. "While CCA understands that U.S. immigration laws and policies evoke strong ideological differences and activism, we feel it is misguided and unwarranted to besmirch our credibility and that of our dedicated professional employees."

About 50 demonstrators from Detention Watch protested outside the midtown Gainesville CCA facility, part of a series of nationwide gatherings at such detention centers Thursday. (See seperate story.)