ICE may have plans for shuttered and disgraced Dublin women's prison
With the Trump administration threatening to arrest thousands of undocumented immigrants, the need for space to detain them presents a logistical challenge.
There are reports that ICE may be eyeing the closed women's prison in Dublin as a possible detention site, despite the facility's numerous structural issues and infamous past.
There are no prisoners currently housed at the Federal Corrections Institution, Dublin, which was shuttered late last year. But there are about 100 employees still working at the facility. The union that represents them has confirmed that ICE officials have toured the site as recently as last week.
"Well, there are people there just to maintain the facility, is my understanding," said East Bay Rep. Mark DeSaulnier. "But the Bureau of Prisons basically said it was uninhabitable, because of the asbestos problem and toxic mold having been through there. The building is disgusting. There shouldn't be people in it. It should be bulldozed and, I think, changed to a better use. So the fact that Immigration folks think that it's a good idea to put people there, I think it's just an incredibly stupid idea."
DeSaulnier said it's his understanding that any attempt to house people in the old prison would cost tens of millions of dollars in repairs, which would require Congressional approval.
"Yes, we would have to appropriate the money, in spite of what the current administration says. So it would have to go through appropriations, specifically," he said. "But it would be a poor use of money. I've looked into this. Investing in that facility right now is beyond diminishing returns."
But mold and asbestos aren't the only aspect of the prison worthy of disgust. For years, women prisoners were allegedly subjected to sexual abuse, earning the facility the nickname "The Rape Club." Seven jail officials have been convicted of sexual abuse, including the former warden.
Kendra Drysdale was one of dozens of victims who brought class action lawsuits against the Bureau of Prisons and thought the closure in April signaled the end of FCI Dublin.
"We believed that we had reached that point, being that the BOP had determined that it needed to be permanently closed," said Drysdale. "So we're sort of horrified to find out that they are now thinking of using it for non-citizens. To know that they are thinking of using this prison for non-citizens is just...I can't tell you the level of dismay we all feel about this."
Drysdale said those who suffered at the hands of their keepers will not be satisfied until they see the prison torn down.
"As an advocate working with so many women that have gone through abuse there, I can say that it would mean a lot to us to have that whole system destroyed -- that facility destroyed," Drysdale said.
When asked if she thought ICE's interest in the property might prevent that, she replied, "Yeah, this definitely puts that off."
The union representative said the current workers at the facility are also living under a cloud of uncertainty. They do not know if they will still have jobs if ICE takes over the prison.
ICE responded to our request for an interview with a statement saying their arrests of "criminal aliens" are requiring greater detention capacity and "While we cannot confirm individual pre-decisional conversations, we can confirm that ICE is exploring all options to meet its current and future detention requirements."
