CoreCivic files special use application for detention center in Leavenworth

Chris Morrison/KSHB 41

New sign at the former Leavenworth Detention Center, now renamed the Midwest Regional Reception Center on Monday, July 7, 2025.

By: Rachel Henderson , Addi Weakley

KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. She has done multiple stories on the battle between the City of Levenworth and CoreCivic. Share your story idea with Rachel.
Addison Weakley is a member of KSHB 41's Real Time Team and helped craft this story.

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CoreCivic has submitted an application for a special use permit to operate a detention center at the 100 Highway Terrace facility, the city of Leavenworth stated in a social media post Monday.

“City Staff and the City's legal team are currently reviewing the application and anticipate working with CoreCivic's representatives on the public process,” the city stated in the post.

The public process includes public hearings with public comment opportunities.

Tentative hearing dates have been set for:

Feb. 2, 2026 — Planning Commission
Feb. 24, 2026 — First consideration by the Leavenworth City Commission
March 10, 2026 — Second consideration by the Leavenworth City Commission

If meeting dates are to change, the city will provide public notification.

After nearly a year of back and forth between CoreCivic and Leavenworth, city officials are pleased with the special use permit application.

“This is what we wanted from the beginning. We’re glad they’re going through the process,” Leavenworth Mayor Holly Pittman told KSHB 41’s Rachel Henderson.

Leavenworth City Manager Scott Peterson said the city is “looking forward to working with them (CoreCivic) through this process,” planning to remain as transparent as possible.

A CoreCivic spokesperson said the company still believes it should not have to submit a special use permit, but hopes by following the process, the application will lead to a collaborative, "mutually beneficial resolution" between the city and the for-profit detention center.

“CoreCivic remains firmly committed to operating a safe, transparent and accountable facility. In an effort to meet the urgent needs of the federal government with respect to its immigration enforcement efforts and continue full operations at MRRC, CoreCivic is assessing all available avenues, including by filing the existing application for a special use permit. While CoreCivic maintains its legal position that it is not subject to the special use permit requirements under the Leavenworth Development Regulations and that it should be permitted to lawfully and fully operate its facility, as it has done for almost 30 years, we're hopeful in following the SUP process as the City has instructed, that they will in turn process our application in a fair and timely manner and work collaboratively to reach a positive and mutually beneficial resolution.”

From the beginning, the city has maintained CoreCivic must submit a special use permit.

CoreCivic first submitted a special use permit in February, but then withdrew it, claiming the company did not need such a permit to reactivate the facility.

Shortly after, the city passed a resolution outlining CoreCivic’s need to obtain a special use permit. But CoreCivic argued the city did not give advance notice it would no longer classify the 100 Highway Terrace facility as exempt from new zoning regulations.

Leavenworth ended up filing a federal lawsuit against CoreCivic, stating a special use permit was necessary to open a facility that had sat “inactive since 2021."

In May, U.S. District Judge Toby Crouse dismissed the lawsuit for a “lack of subject-matter jurisdiction.”

Leavenworth then ended up filing the lawsuit with the state.

A state judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring CoreCivic to obtain the special use permit, which CoreCivic has appealed.

While the state court action was pending, CoreCivic filed a federal lawsuit claiming Leavenworth was “unconstitutionally interfering” with the company’s obligations to the federal government.

The Department of Justice even filed a Statement of Interest backing CoreCivic operating an immigration detention facility in Leavenworth, claiming the special use permit requirement violated the Supremacy Clause.

But at the end of last month, CoreCivic’s federal lawsuit was dismissed.

The Kansas State Court of Appeals will hear CoreCivic’s appeal on the state case likely in February.

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CoreCivic files special use application for detention center in Leavenworth

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