Rivers Correctional Institution

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to open an immigration detention center in northeastern North Carolina by the end of 2026 at the former Rivers Correctional Institution, a shuttered private prison. The facility, owned by GEO Group, could hold up to 1,400 detainees and faces opposition from North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and local activists. The site has a history of violence and misconduct, and its reopening aligns with ICE's efforts to expand detention capacity.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to reopen a former for-profit prison in Winton, North Carolina, as a mass detention facility with 1,400 beds under a contract with GEO Group. The facility, previously closed in 2021 due to health and safety complaints, has a history of inadequate medical care and discrimination, sparking protests and condemnation from advocates and officials.

ICE plans to open a detention center at the old Rivers Correctional Institution in North Carolina by the end of December to address a 'detention desert'.

Advocates, faith leaders, and community organizers rallied at the North Carolina General Assembly on May 26, 2026, opposing potential ICE detention facility expansions, including the possible reopening of the Rivers Correctional Institution. The protest, organized by groups like the ACLU of North Carolina and Democracy Out Loud, highlighted concerns about private prison companies and conditions at existing detention centers.