Prison Company Pursuing Wyoming Immigration Detention Center

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A private prison company is proposing to build an immigration detention facility in southwest Wyoming.

Utah-based Management & Training Corporation approached Uinta County and Evanston officials recently with its proposal to build a center to house about 600 detainees for the Salt Lake City office of the U.S. Department of Immigration and Custom Enforcement. The office serves Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Montana.

Many local community leaders support the project for the jobs and revenue, but opponents note the company has been in trouble in the past in how it operates other facilities around the country.

A Job Corps center in Riverton is among those facilities. The company is fighting a federal lawsuit alleging the company discriminated against Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribal members.