Immigration and Customs Enforcement[1] (ICE) agents met with Joe Profiri, a senior consultant to Gov. Sarah Sanders, at a proposed state prison site in Franklin County to discuss its use as a federal detention location, the governor’s office has confirmed.
News of the meeting was first reported by KDYN Radio[2], with Franklin County Sheriff Johnny Crocker and Chief Deputy Jon Little confirming that Profiri and two ICE agents were at the site on Monday (Sept. 22). Crocker and Little said the agents told them the site could be made operational sooner than a state prison.
“Governor Sanders’ Administration is in ongoing conversations with the Trump Administration and federal immigration officials on how best to support the President’s work to secure the border and get violent, criminal illegal aliens off our streets,” said Sam Dubke, a spokesman for Gov. Sanders’ office.
Gov. Sanders and other state officials announced Oct. 31, 2024, that the state had purchased land north of Charleston in Franklin County to build the prison. The cost for the 815 acres was $2.9 million. One of the reasons for the western Arkansas site selection was to avoid placing the prison in an area where additional prisons already exist, which could affect potential workforce options, according to state officials.
Once the prison is complete, it will employ nearly 800 individuals at an average salary of more than $46,600, based on estimates. Sanders at the time said the region is large enough to provide a workforce pool from which to hire enough people to staff the prison.
The effort to build the prison has generated opposition from Franklin County residents and Arkansas legislators. The Arkansas Senate failed to advance a funding bill for a new state prison late in the recent regular session. The $750 million funding measure failed five times to get a 75% vote from senators.
Also, state officials have struggled to secure a meaningful water supply[3] for the prison.
Rand Champion, spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Corrections (DOC), told Talk Business & Politics that the agency is aware of the meeting between Profiri and ICE, but the DOC is not involved with any federal agency.
“The Department became aware of reports of a site visit late Wednesday,” Champion said. “To my knowledge, we have not been involved in those visits or discussions as it would fall under federal jurisdiction. The Governor’s Office would be able to better answer your questions.”
State Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, an active opponent of the Franklin County prison plan, said Gov. Sanders has been since at least January trying to “find a way out of her prison boondoggle.” King said he confirmed with Sheriff Crocker that the ICE agents were at the Franklin County site to meet with Profiri.
“She wants the feds to bail her out on this,” King said. “This whole thing has been a scam. That’s what I’ve been calling it. … And I guarantee you 1,000 percent you’ll be hearing more about this.”
In a Democrat-Gazette story, Crocker said he is opposed to a federal detention facility in the county, and that he did not appreciate “the sneakiness” of the ICE agents being in the county without local law enforcement being notified.
Related
References
- ^ Immigration and Customs Enforcement (www.ice.gov)
- ^ KDYN Radio (kdyn.com)
- ^ water supply (talkbusiness.net)