CoreCivic sells Leavenworth prison to Department of Homeland Security for $238M

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For-profit prison operator CoreCivic announced Wednesday it has sold its Leavenworth Midwest Regional Reception Center to the Department of Homeland Security.

According to a press release, the sale of the 1,033-bed facility was valued at $238.4 million.

CoreCivic says it will continue to operate the facility under existing management contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “although the terms of the management contracts may be modified to reflect the change in ownership.”

The company said its management contract at the MRRC runs through September 2027.

On Tuesday, the company announced it had sold its 1,600-bed Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minnesota, for $496 million.

“We are further demonstrating the value of the Company’s underlying real estate portfolio through the sales of our Prairie Correctional Facility and Midwest Regional Reception Center, following our sales of two detention centers in California last month,” CoreCivic President and CEO Patrick Swindle said Wednesday. “We remain committed to growing the Company’s businesses and returning value to our shareholders, while remaining a dependable and flexible partner with the government.”

CoreCivic engaged in a multi-year battle with officials in Leavenworth to reopen the MRRC, located at 100 Highway Terrace.

The company finally got the green light to open the facility in March 2026 and start admitting ICE detainees.

Leavenworth City Manager Scott Peterson told KSHB 41 News that the city learned of the sale on Wednesday morning. He said the city is "currently reviewing any impacts to the Special Use Permit and Performance Agreement with our legal team."

In Wednesday’s release, the company said it is in discussion with ICE “about the potential acquisition of additional detention facilities from the Company.”

“These discussions are in preliminary stages, and the Company can provide no assurance that any additional sales will occur,” the press release stated.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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