>> ERIC: THURSDAY PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED OFF ON A HIGHLY DEBATED IMMIGRATION BILL FUNDING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY $70 BILLION.

BACK IN APPLETON, MINNESOTA, SPECULATION CONTINUES ABOUT THE PRIVATELY-OWNED, VACANT PRAIRIE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY BECOMING A DETENTION CENTER.

THE PRISON HAS SAT EMPTY SINCE 2010.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT HER RECENT REPORTING ON THE PRISON, SAHAN JOURNAL'S IMMIGRATION REPORTER KATELYN VUE.

NOTHING OFFICIAL, BUT ALL KINDS OF HINTS THAT SOMETHING'S GOING ON, IS THAT FAIR?

>> YEAH, DEFINITELY.

THERE WAS A LOT OF HINT HAPPENING LAST WEEK.

THE COMPANY THAT OWNS HE PRISON IN APPLETON HAD POSTED THREE JOB POSTINGS.

YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO GAUGE YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO GAU GAUGE, WHAT I'M QUOTING FROM THEIR STATEMENT, TO FIGURE OUT IF PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN APPLYING TO WORK AT THE PRISON.

AND THEY ALSO -- DHS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, PUBLISHED A CONTRACT, SOLICITING FOR WORKING WITH CORE CIVIC AND THE PRISON TO OPEN AS A DETENTION FACILITY.

>> Eric: THAT'S THE PRIVATE PRIVATE PRISON COMPANY?

>> YEAH, THAT'S THE PRIVATE COMPANY.

>> Cathy: AS ERIC JUST SAID IN THE INTRO, THIS PLACE HAS BEEN EMPTY FOR YEARS.

AND APPLETON, IT'S VULGING, RIGHT?

SO HOW BIG A DEAL WOULD THIS BE FOR THE COMMUNITY IF IT WERE TO OPEN?

>> IT WOULD BE A REALLY BIG DEAL.

IT'S BEEN CLOSED SINCE 2010 SO, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME.

IF THE PRISON WERE TO OPEN, IT WOULD DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN APPLETON, THERE'S ABOUT 1,400 IN APPLETON.

IN THE PRISON, THEY HAVE CAPACITY FOR 1,600 BEDS.

SO IT WOULD MORE THAN DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN APPLETON.

SO, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO EXPAND, YOU KNOW, SEWER, WATER, AND THOSE TYPES OF RESOURCES TO MAKE ROOM FOR THAT.

>> Eric: WOULD CITY, COUNTY, STATE, LOCALLY, HAVE ANY INPUT ON THIS OR WOULD IT BE A FEDERAL DECISION ONLY?

>> IT WOULD HAVE TO COME DOWN TO CORE CIVIC, SO I TALKED TO COUNTY AND CITY OFFICIALS IN APPLETON AND THEY SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT HE COMMUNITY TO BE ENGAGED AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

BUT IT'S OWNED BY A PRIVATE COMPANY.

IT'S THE ONLY PRISON IN MINNESOTA OWNED BY A PRIVATE COMPANY.

SO, IT IS UP TO CORE CIVIC ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE PRISON.

>> Cathy: ERIC AND I REMEMBER THE DEBATE AROUND THIS RISON BACK IN THE DAY.

IT WAS AN UGLY DEBATE WHEN IT WAS REALLY A HOT ISSUE.

SO IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO IT RIGHT NOW.

I'M WONDERING, HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO RESIDENTS?

WHAT DO THEY FEEL LIKE IF THIS COULD BECOME A DETENTION CENTER?

>> YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE WAS A EBATE THAT WAS GOING ON AROUND THIS.

IT'S BEEN ONGOING BACK ND FORTH, I THINK, SINCE 2017.

SO ALMOST A DECADE.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.

THERE WAS EVEN AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE WASHINGTON "THN POST" AROUND THE POTENTIAL OF THIS OPENING AS A DETENTION FACILITY.

SO RESIDENTS ARE KIND OF MIXED.

SOME ARE, YOU KNOW, COMPLETELY AGAINST IT BECAUSE OF THE REPUTATION CORE CIVIC HAS.

THEY OWN -- THEY'RE THE LARGEST I.C.E.

CONTRACTOR IN, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTRY.

SO THEY OWN A LOT OF PRISONS THAT FUNCTION AS DETENTION FACILITIES AND THEY HAVE A BAD REP.

RESIDENTS ALSO SAY THAT THEY HAVE THAT THIS PRISON WILL OPEN UP A LOT OF JOBS AND HELP REVITALIZE THEIR COMMUNITY.

SO THERE'S A LOT AT STAKE HERE.

>> Eric: IS THERE ANY GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD BE MINNESOTA-ONLY DETAINEES OR PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY OR WHAT WOULD THE POPULATION BE MADE UP OF?

>> YEAH, THE CONTRACT WASN'T VERY SPECIFIC.

I MEAN, IT TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD REQUIRE THE FIRST FIVE EARS, IF IT OPENED AS A DETENTION, LIKE AN I.C.E.

DETENTION FACILITY.

CORE CIVIC SAID THAT THEY HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S ENOUGH MEDICINE, BEDS, GUARDS AND TRANSPORTATION.

BUT THERE ISN'T A LOT OF SPECIFICS ON WHO THEY PLAN TO HAVE AT THE PRISON.

I THINK IT WAS SORT OF A RANGE OF FOLKS.

THEY SAID MAYBE CHILDREN, MAYBE ADULTS.

IT WOULD BASICALLY HELP JUST THIS AREA OF MINNESOTA SINCE THERE'S NOT CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, A CORE CIVIC FACILITY OPEN.

>> Cathy: A QUICK QUESTION, YOU MIGHT HAVE SAID THIS, BUT WHAT'S THE INITIAL RESPONSE FROM CORE CIVIC TO YOUR REPORTING?

>> YEAH, I'VE PRESSED CORE CIVIC TO KIND OF GIVE US SOME MORE SPECIFICS.

WHAT THEY'VE TOLD US, WHAT THEY'VE ALSO TOLD THE CITY, THEY ARE LOOKING INTO OPENING THE PRISON, THEY'VE FILED BUILDING PERMIT LAST YEAR TO RENOVATE THE PRISON.

THEY ARE STARTING TO WORK ON IT.

THEY'VE INVESTED A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE RENOVATIONS.

AND, SO, THEY'RE HOPING TO OPEN IT.

BUT THEY HAVEN'T SAID WHO WILL BE, YOU KNOW, WHO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AT THE PRISON.

THEY HAVEN'T REALLY EXPLICITLY SAID I.C.E.

>> Eric: USUAL GOOD STUFF.

THANKS FOR COMING OVER.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU.