A small town in Northeastern North Carolina is at the center of a growing national debate over immigration detention.
On Saturday, the streets of Ahoskie were filled with protesters as community members rallied against the potential reopening of the Rivers Correctional Center. Dozens gathered at the intersection of First and Academy Streets, carrying signs reading "Your Voice is Your Power."
The rally follows recent ACLU findings that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—or ICE—is considering a contract with the GEO Group to transform the shuttered Winton prison into an immigration detention facility. Local organizers, including the group "The Cultivator," argue the move would strain rural healthcare resources and create a climate of fear.
While the facility is privately owned, Hertford County officials say they haven’t been consulted on the plans.
Advocates say this is just the beginning of their campaign to keep the facility closed.
