A former state prison in Appleton, Minnesota is being turned into a 1,600-bed immigration detention center, and the first detainees could arrive as soon as this November. CoreCivic, the company that will run the facility, sold it to the federal government for $495.6 million and is now offering the city and Swift County millions of dollars a year to make up for the property taxes they'll lose. That money might balance a budget, but it does nothing to protect the families who could be torn apart once this facility opens.

At a recent community meeting, longtime resident Megan Stein put it plainly: "I worry what's going to happen to families being ripped apart, and then hearts that are already hard are going to continue to be hardened," according to Sahan Journal. Once the facility is fully running, it will hold more people than currently live in Appleton today — and many of them will have children, spouses, and parents nearby who depend on them.

The Appleton City Council and the Swift County Board of Commissioners still have to finalize their agreements with CoreCivic. Before they do, they should require real protections for the immigrant families this facility will affect — including access to legal counsel, family visitation, and independent oversight of conditions inside.

A community shouldn't have to choose between its budget and its neighbors' families. Sign this petition to demand that Appleton and Swift County put safeguards for immigrant families into any final agreement with CoreCivic — before the first detainee arrives.