The Indicator from Planet Money Why this rural town wants an ICE facility
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Feb 19, 2026 
Sergio Martinez Beltran, an NPR immigration reporter who covers detention and policy, visits a small Georgia town weighing economic gain against moral cost. He outlines federal plans to expand detention capacity. He describes how rural areas are courted, the local facility’s history, residents’ mixed feelings about jobs, and the uncertain future of detention-based economies.
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Federal Push To Expand Detention Capacity
- The Trump administration is building and expanding detention capacity nationwide, funded by large DHS allocations.
- DHS plans to spend over $38 billion to create facilities that raise national detention capacity toward roughly 93,000 beds.
Folkston's Prison Became A Large ICE Center
- Folkston, Georgia, a poor rural town, converted a closed state prison into one of the nation's largest ICE detention centers.
- GEO Group runs the facility and expanded it from about 1,100 to as many as 3,000 beds, creating local jobs and some county revenue.
Economic Gains Are Real But Limited
- The facility expansion brought roughly 200 new jobs with wages from about $18 to $50 per hour and limited payments to local governments.
- For a county with high poverty, even modest contract payments and job benefits provide meaningful economic relief.