- Rivers Correctional Institution will reopen as an ICE facility in late 2026.
- The five-year contract provides one thousand three hundred twenty beds for immigration processing.
- Governor Josh Stein opposes the private facility, citing trust issues with federal agencies.
Rivers Correctional Institution in Winton, North Carolina, will be activated as an ICE detention facility under a five-year agreement announced July 29, 2026. The site is expected to hold 1,320 beds under the contract and become operational by the end of 2026.
The GEO Group said it signed a support-services contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to create a federal immigration processing center. The company owns and operates the facility.
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The agreement gives ICE exclusive use of the site. The company will handle security, upkeep, meals, health services and access to legal counsel.
The facility sits in Hertford County, in eastern North Carolina. It formerly served as a federal prison for non-citizens before closing in 2021.
George C. Zoley, the company’s Executive Chairman, CEO, and Founder, said the site would help address federal demand for additional detention capacity.
“We expect that our company-owned Rivers Facility in Winton, North Carolina will play an important role in helping meet the need for increased federal immigration processing center bedspace. We are proud of our 40-year public-private partnership with ICE, and we stand ready to continue to assist the federal government in meeting its immigration enforcement priorities.”
The announcement followed opposition from North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. In a July 24, 2026, statement, Stein said the state had not approved the transaction.
“The planned ICE detention center in Winton is not state-owned, and I did not approve this transaction. Like many other North Carolinians, I do not want it in our state. ICE and Border Patrol have not earned our trust.”
The contract sets a five-year term and a year-end activation target
The company expects the agreement to produce roughly $80 million in revenue during its first full year of operations. That figure is a corporate projection tied to the contract, not a federal spending figure separately identified in the research.
The available capacity figures differ by description. The contract announcement identifies 1,320 beds, while broader estimates put the site’s capacity at approximately 1,320 to 1,400 beds.
| Contract or operating detail | Figure or provision |
|---|---|
| Agreement term | Five years |
| Capacity identified in the announcement | 1,320 beds |
| Broader capacity estimate | Approximately 1,320 to 1,400 beds |
| Projected first-full-year revenue | Roughly $80 million |
| Target for full activation | End of 2026 |
| Services | Security, maintenance, food services, medical care and legal counsel access |
The company’s announcement formally confirmed the agreement after Department of Homeland Security officials said July 27 that they had “no new detention centers to announce at this time.” The contract announcement came two days later.
The site is expected to serve detainees arrested in North Carolina and Virginia. Supporters of the expansion describe the location as added East Coast bed space for immigration enforcement operations.
Winton would end the state’s reliance on distant detention sites
North Carolina has been described as a “detention desert,” with many detainees transported to facilities in Georgia or Maryland. The Winton site is expected to become the state’s first large-scale, dedicated ICE detention facility.
That status could alter where federal authorities hold people arrested in the region. The agency would have local bed space instead of relying as heavily on transfers outside North Carolina.
The facility’s expected regional effect remains a projection. Advocates expect its presence to coincide with increased ICE enforcement actions across North Carolina and Virginia because detention beds would be available nearby.
The planned activation also forms part of the Trump administration’s effort to expand detention capacity along the East Coast for mass deportation operations. The move reflects a return to private, for-profit facilities after the previous administration pursued policies intended to phase out private prison contracts.
Advocates cite violence and medical-care problems at the former prison
The ACLU of North Carolina and Siembra NC have criticized the plan because of the site’s earlier record. Before the 2021 closure, the Department of Justice cited the facility for some of the worst conditions in the federal system.
Those reports included violence and inadequate medical care. The past findings do not establish how the new operation will perform, but they have become central to opponents’ objections.
Local activists also argue that placing 1,400 individuals in a rural setting could make family visits more difficult. They say detainees may also struggle to obtain adequate local pro bono legal representation.
The contract includes access to legal counsel as one of the services the operator will provide. That provision describes the agreement’s terms, while the activists’ concerns address whether detainees can obtain practical and timely assistance.
The facility’s ownership dispute remains separate from the federal contract
Stein’s statement focused on the state’s role. He said the planned center was not state-owned and that he had not approved the transaction.
The contract, however, involves the privately owned site and ICE. The governor’s opposition does not alter the five-year agreement announced by the operator.
The company expects full activation by the end of 2026. The first full year of operations is also when it expects roughly $80 million in revenue, according to its announcement.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
