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Immigrant Detention Fuels Rural Jails | Fort Wayne News
In January 2026, Operation Country Roads led to the arrest of 600 immigrants across West Virginia, many ending up in overcrowded local jails that ICE pays daily fees to operate—turning rural incarceration into a cash cow. This isn’t new: over a century ago, West Virginia profited by housing out-of-state prisoners, a model now revived as urban jail populations shrink while rural ones swell thanks to immigrant detainees. States are leasing beds for hundreds a day, even reopening shuttered prisons as immigration hubs, fueling local economies amid desperation. Despite court orders for release…
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