Why this rural town wants an ICE facility

The Trump administration is aggressively expanding the U.S. immigration detention infrastructure, aiming for a record capacity of 93,000 detainees through a $38 billion funding allocation. This expansion primarily targets small, economically depressed towns like Folkston, Georgia, where the GEO Group has expanded a former state prison into a 3,000-bed ICE facility. For Folkston—a community where one-third of residents live below the poverty line—the center provides a critical economic lifeline through 200 new jobs with hourly wages up to $50 and essential municipal revenue. However, this reliance creates a profound moral and systemic tension. While local officials like Glenn Hull view the facility as a necessary tool for survival and hospital funding, residents like Savannah Pollock argue against building a future on a "fake facade of criminality" that targets marginalized bodies. This dependency leaves rural towns vulnerable to shifting federal policies that could abruptly eliminate their primary source of employment and stability.