Audit: ICE Improperly Changed Eloy Deal to Get Detention Facility In Texas

PHOENIX — A newly released audit blasted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for altering a deal with the city of Eloy to get a detention facility in Texas, but the agency denied improperly changing the agreement, which now pays Eloy to act as a so-called middleman.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General did the audit. It concludes that a large immigrant detention facility in Texas is shielded from scrutiny because ICE improperly changed an agreement with the city of Eloy, instead of contracting directly with the facility’s owner, CoreCivic.

ICE now pays Eloy roughly $438,000 a year to serve as a middleman between the agency and CoreCivic, according to the audit.

The head of ICE responded via memo that the agency did not act wrongly, and it has unique power to change agreements. He also said that ICE negotiated a fair price for the Texas facility and it was later reduced.

This story is from the Fronteras Desk, a collaboration of Southwestern public radio stations, including NPR 89.1. Read more from the Fronteras Desk.