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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 24 december 2019

U.S. awards immigration detention contracts in California

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The ICE said the contracts were said at the time.
Trump administration not subject to the new A state Senate analysis of
awarded billions of dol- state law, deflecting criti- Assembly 32 said the Trump
lars in contracts for private cism that the timing was administration would like-
companies to operate im- meant to circumvent it. ly sue to block the law,
migration detention cen- Paige Hughes, an agency partly by arguing that is is
ters in California —- less spokeswoman, said ICE preempted by federal im-
than two weeks before a believed the new con- migration law. The analysis
new state law takes effect tracts will limit transfers of predicted the state would
to prohibit them. detainees outside Califor- prevail in court.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed nia, where they would be The GEO Group Inc. won
a bill in October to ban farther from family, friends two five-year extensions
contracts for for-profit pris- and legal representatives. — one to operate the de-
ons starting Jan. 1. Support- "State laws aimed at ob- tention center in Adelan-
ers hoped the law would structing federal law en- to, with capacity for 2,690
force U.S. Immigration and forcement are inappropri- beds, and another to run In this Aug. 28, 2019, file photo, the Adelanto U.S. Immigration
Customs Enforcement to ate and harmful," Hughes the facility in Bakersfield, and Enforcement Processing Center operated by GEO Group,
Inc. (GEO), a Florida-based company specializing in privatized
look elsewhere after cur- said. with capacity for 1,800 corrections, is viewed in Adelanto, Calif.
rent contracts expire. The governor's office had beds. The two contracts Associated Press
However, a federal website no immediate comment are worth more than $3.7
posted long-term awards when contacted Monday. billion, Diego, with capacity for border with Mexico, is a ma-
on Friday worth a com- When he signed the bill, GEO said Monday the con- 1,994 beds. Management jor priority for ICE, which has
bined $6.8 billion for deten- Newsom said private pris- tracts would provide more & Training Corp. won a found itself increasingly un-
tion facilities in San Diego, ons contribute to excessive than $200 million in annual contract for $679 million to welcome under state laws.
Calexico, Adelanto and incarceration, including revenue and 1,200 jobs. operate a facility in Calex- As the number of ICE de-
Bakersfield. The sites will of immigrants and asylum- CoreCivic Inc. won an ex- ico with capacity for 704 tainees nationwide topped
house about 4,000 detain- seekers. tension worth $2.1 billion beds. 56,000 earlier this year, the
ees, with capacity to ex- "These for-profit prisons do to operate an immigration California, with its large im- agency held more people
pand in the future. not reflect our values," he detention center in San migrant populations and in central Louisiana.q

Virginia pastors give over $17,000 to pay student meal debts

STAFFORD, Va. (AP) — The tor at Mount Ararat Baptist was skeptical when the national School Nutrition for federal aid still struggle
holidays came early for Church. "So we called the pastors emailed her about Association. The median to pay for school break-
some Virginia families strug- school systems. And gosh, students' meal debt. She amount of unpaid debt fast and lunch five days a
gling to pay school lunch wow, was there a need." said usually parent-teacher increased 70% from the week. Williams said neither
debt. Williams, the Rev. Brian Ben- groups and members of her 2012-2013 school year. The he nor the other pastors
Three Virginia pastors used nett and the Rev. Andrew own staff pay out of pocket Washington Post reported were aware of the meal
more than $17,000 from Segre gave $10,500 to Staf- to help reduce the debt. students across Washing- debt statistics. They intend
their church's budget to ford County Public Schools "I was overwhelmed by the ton, D.C., Maryland and Vir- to pay off the debt again.
pay off meal debt at two and close to $7,000 to generosity," Butler said. ginia owe nearly a $500,000 He said he hopes their ac-
local school systems. Spotsylvania County Public About 75% of schools dis- in meal debt. The Post also tions bring more awareness
"It seemed like a good Schools, which wiped out tricts nationally reported reported that although the to the growing debt.
idea, (but) we didn't know balances across the dis- unpaid meal debt, with National School Lunch Pro- "This is not a churchy thing,"
if there was a need be- trict, news outlets reported. the median amount per gram allows some students Williams said. "This — help-
cause no one ever seems Keana Butler, principal school being about $2,500, to get free or reduced- ing children and families —
to talk about this," said the of Park Ridge Elementary according to The Washing- price meals, many families this is a thing that anyone
Rev. Jerry Williams, a pas- School in Stafford, said she ton Post, which cited the who barely fail to qualify can do."q