EVANSTON — A group of Evanston residents gathered Saturday afternoon at the end of the “road to nowhere” near Bear River State Park to protest the proposal to construct an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Evanston. The group planned their protest to coincide with the statewide official launch of the WyoSayNo campaign against the proposed center. 

A press release put together by group members, including Evanston pastor Larry Turpin and former state legislator and city councilwoman Saundra Meyer, listed multiple reasons people are opposed to the proposal. The release said the group supported families working to build productive lives, especially those families with both American citizens and foreign-born immigrants. 

The release also said the group did not believe people should be detained for doing what all Americans’ ancestors did in seeking to build a better life in America. 

Turpin, Meyer and other group members said they do not believe the center would constitute economic development for Evanston.

“While we support economic development,” the release states, “we see that any jobs created by this detention facility will come at considerable cost to our local resources and our humanity.” 

The statewide WyoSayNo campaign launch featured a live launch in Cheyenne and organizers said there were simultaneous livestream watch and organizing parties held in nine locations around the state, as well as in Salt Lake City and Fort Collins, Colorado. 

Speakers at the launch event in Cheyenne included people who have been protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program instituted by President Obama, who currently stand to face the possibility of deportation in a matter of months. Other speakers included Sabrina King, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming, who discussed the concerns she had with Management Training Corporation, the company behind the proposal. 

“They ran their prisons so badly in Arizona, that the state pulled people out of their facilities,” she said.

The Washington Post reported that Arizona did in fact pull 238 prisoners out of an MTC-run facility in 2010 following three prisoner escapes that year.

Gov. Doug Ducey later canceled the state’s contract with MTC to run the Kingman, Arizona, prison in 2015 following a riot.

Despite its troubled past, local leaders showed unwavering support for MTC and the proposed immigration jail Saturday evening. After protests, local leaders issued a press release in support of the proposed ICE detention center.

“Some residents gathered in parts of the state on Saturday to express concerns over a proposed ICE detention center here in Uinta County,” the release states. “We value their concerns and we want them to know we intend to proceed with the utmost care and consideration.”

All three Uinta County Commissioners (Eric South, Wendell Fraughton and Craig Welling) signed the release, along with Evanston Mayor Kent Williams. The county commission and the Evanston City Council voted last spring to support the project.

According to the release, county and city officials will “do all within our power to ensure MTC and its employees are held to the highest standards and expectations for the proper treatment of its detainees” should ICE approve the Uinta County location, which is county-owned land near Bear River State Park.

Officials said MTC has more than 30 years of experience in corrections and that they are confident in the company’s ability to build and successfully operate an ICE detention center in Evanston.

“The county commissioners have vetted MTC and will continue to do so,” the release states. “We believe they would be a good partner and, if this proposal is successful, we look forward to working with them.”

The press release cites more jobs and economic diversification as reasons for the officials’ support. Williams went as far as to say the proposal is something the community needs.

“Our city is in full support of this project,” he said. “Our city council has closely taken a look at the proposal, and we believe it will be a shot in the arm in terms of the economy. The detention center is expected to bring millions of dollars in construction work to our area and will employ 170-200 people. These would be solid jobs with great benefits. We need this in Evanston.”

The video of the protest launch event can be found on the WyoSayNo Facebook page and, as of press time, had been viewed nearly 5,000 times.

Wyoming News Exchange contributed to this report.