Joliet’s 2012 Immigration Detention Talks: What Happened Next

Joliet was under consideration for an immigration detention center in 2012, but the effort ended with the private operator dropping the city from consideration in 2013, according to contemporary reporting.

The distinction matters when older coverage circulates today: preliminary discussions did not establish that a facility had been approved or would open.

What officials were discussing

A November 8, 2012, EFE report published by El Diario identified then-City Manager Thomas Thanas as confirming discussions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a private prison company.

Thanas described the discussions as preliminary. No agreement had been reached, including on an exact location, the report said. Corrections Corporation of America, known as CCA, was identified as the prospective builder.

ICE spokesman Shawn Neudauer said a Chicago-area facility would help keep detained people closer to their families.

Competing visions for Joliet

The economic case and objections were documented in Correctional News’ June 5, 2013, account.

Then-Mayor Tom Giarrante argued that the project warranted evaluation for its potential economic benefits. Then-Councilman Jim McFarland questioned the quality of the promised jobs and whether another prison would help attract investment.

Community organizing also became part of the debate. The University YMCA’s archive of a September 20, 2013, forum describes organizer Jesse Hoyt’s account of campaigns against proposed detention centers in Crete and Joliet.

The archive credits his presentation with describing Black and Latino coalitions, door-knocking and local elections as factors in defeating the Joliet proposal. That is an account of the organizers’ perspective, rather than an official determination of why the company withdrew.

What happened afterward

Correctional News reported in June 2013 that CCA would no longer consider Joliet as a host city.

The broader federal search continued. In November 2013, WBEZ reported on possible development in Hobart, Indiana. ICE told the station it was still conducting Chicago-area market research.

The agency described its regional objective as improving detention conditions and keeping people closer to families, attorneys and community resources. Hobart’s mayor said no official proposal had been submitted to his city.

For Joliet residents, the history illustrates why several stages must be distinguished: exploratory conversations, a specific development proposal, governmental approval and an operating facility. Reporting on the first stage cannot establish the others.

What remains unanswered

This review did not obtain Joliet’s original negotiating correspondence, a complete municipal decision record or CCA’s withdrawal notice. Those records would clarify the sites examined, proposed financial terms and exact administrative steps.

No renewed Joliet proposal was verified in this review. This article documents the historical episode and does not establish the status of every present-day immigration enforcement activity.