KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Friday, the Kansas Appeals Court sided with the city of Leavenworth regarding a lawsuit filed against CoreCivic and the fight to reopen its shuttered detention center.
Leavenworth maintains that the corporation must apply for a special use permit (SUP) in order to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center.
A judge has now granted a temporary injunction, which means CoreCivic must continue to go through the city’s permitting process.
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CoreCivic had previously applied for an SUP in February of 2025 – before withdrawing its application, claiming its contract with ICE allows it to bypass Leavenworth law.
However, in December, CoreCivic submitted a new application for an SUP. Earlier this month, the Leavenworth Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend that the city commission approve the special use permit – with provisions.
On Tuesday, city commissioners read the first consideration ordinance for the SUP. If the permit is approved, the 20-acre property will operate as the Midwest Regional Reception Center and would house a maximum number of 1,104 detainees.
CoreCivic’s argument
In 2012, the city adopted an ordinance that amended the city’s then-effective development regulations and prohibited the operation of a jail or prison without receiving an SUP. CoreCivic was still operating its detention center at the time and was grandfathered in, meaning it was not required to obtain an SUP.
In 2021, however, CoreCivic’s contracts to house detainees for the Department of Justice were not renewed. As of Jan. 1, 2022, CoreCivic entirely stopped housing detainees at the facility.
CoreCivic argues that it should not have lost its grandfathered status, claiming it never abandoned its use of the detention facility. However, in March of 2025, CoreCivic’s own website listed the facility as being “currently inactive.”
Leavenworth argues that since the facility had been shut down, CoreCivic would be required by Leavenworth law to obtain an SUP to reopen.
The purpose of a temporary injunction is to preserve the status quo until a final determination can be made. This is not a final ruling in the case.
You can read more about the case and the court’s decision below.
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