FOLKSTON, Ga. () – Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expanding its processing facility in Folkston, Ga., aiming to double its current capacity and thus become the country’s largest ICE detention center.

The federal government has negotiated a deal with private prison company GEO to repurpose a now-inactive prison in Folkston as additional space for the existing ICE facility.

“They’ll be integrated, and once combined, parts of it will serve as a detention center, parts as a processing center, and portions will be designated for transfer preparation,” Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-01) stated.

However, many advocates are concerned about housing ICE detainees inside a prison.

“They are retrofitting a federal prison into a detention center, and they don’t really make that many changes. So, people who are detained by ICE are experiencing prison conditions,” Reverend Leeann Culbreath with the campaign to shut down the Folkston ICE facility said.

Culbreath told detainees in Folkston have been mistreated for years, and she fears the expansion will only make things worse.

“Physical abuse, emotional abuse, and there was even one death of a detained person that ICE found was partly caused by medical neglect at the facility,” Culbreath said of conditions in the facility.

According to GEO, the facility is under contract with ICE as of June 6.

Rep. Carter was instrumental in making sure federal funding came through after the deal to contract out the prison was temporarily paused at the beginning of the month.

“I’ve been to visit that facility before, and I’ll tell you the company that runs it does a good job,” Rep. Carter said.

There have been several ICE enforcement operations in the Savannah area recently.

Civic and Advocacy Coordinator for Migrant Equity Southeast Eduardo Delgado said one of his clients who was detained in Statesboro last week, “was sent to Folkston, and essentially, they’ve conveyed that they believe they’re in prison.”

Delgado told that Folkston facility’s proximity to Savannah hits close to home for the immigrant community.

“They are less than two hours away from the closest detention facility that ICE has. So, our community is very aware, and they understand that facility is where they’ll probably end up,” he said.