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Marana ICE Detention Center — Pima County AZ (MTC)

Pima, AZ FIPS 04019
513 (procurement order seeks 775)
Bed capacity
Operator: Management & Training Corporation (MTC)

Overview

The Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility is a former Arizona state prison that MTC (Management & Training Corporation) is converting into a 513-bed ICE detention center for men. Located in Marana, just northwest of Tucson in Pima County (FIPS 04019), the facility is slated to open by November 30, 2026. A federal procurement order seeks to expand capacity to 775 beds — a 50%+ increase over the initial 513-bed plan.

MTC operated this facility as a minimum-security state prison for nearly 30 years (1994-2023). Arizona closed it in late 2023 to save $15M. MTC repurchased the shuttered prison for $15M in July 2025, and ICE published a sole-source contract notice in February 2026.

Facility History

  • 1994: Facility opened as state prison, operated by MTC
  • ~2023 (Nov): Arizona Governor announced closure to save $15M/year by ending private prison contract
  • December 31, 2023: MTC’s state contract expired; facility shuttered
  • July 2025: MTC purchased the closed prison from Arizona for $15M
  • August 2025: AZCIR fact-checked reports confirming MTC runs ICE facilities and the sale had occurred
  • November 2025: AZ Luminaria obtained documents showing few zoning hurdles for ICE conversion
  • February 25, 2026: ICE published sole-source procurement notice for 2-year contract with MTC
  • February 27, 2026: AZ Mirror broke news of the 513-bed ICE detention plan
  • March 10, 2026: Protest at facility gates — Rep. Grijalva and ~70 advocates rallied
  • March 12, 2026: Federal procurement order revealed capacity increase to 775 beds
  • March 16, 2026: AZ Luminaria investigation: “Who would hold it accountable?”
  • April 3, 2026: Cronkite News reported on community fears about the facility
  • Target: November 30, 2026: ICE activation deadline

MTC’s Track Record in Arizona

MTC’s record in Arizona should raise alarms about oversight:

  • Kingman prison (2015): Arizona Governor Doug Ducey terminated MTC’s contract after a DOC investigation revealed “a culture of disorganization, disengagement, and disregard” for DOC policies. MTC failed to properly train staff, maintain security systems, and prevent riots.
  • This is the same company now receiving a sole-source contract — no competitive bidding — to operate an ICE facility in Arizona.

Capacity Escalation

The initial sole-source notice described a 513-bed facility. Just two weeks later, a federal procurement order sought to increase capacity to 775 beds — a 51% increase. ICE cited the need to “increase bed capacity to meet the administration’s interior enforcement and border decompression goals.”

Immigration attorney Daniela Ugaz of Pima Resists I.C.E. stated: “There is no way to raise the population by that amount in an ethical way.”

Political Opposition

Local government: Pima County (4-1 vote), City of Tucson, and City of South Tucson all passed resolutions opposing the facility.

Congressional delegation: U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04), and Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) sent a joint letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons demanding transparency. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego sent a separate correspondence.

Community: Pima Resists I.C.E. and other advocacy organizations have organized protests and legal monitoring efforts.

Why This Facility Matters

  1. Sole-source contract to a discredited operator: MTC was fired from its last Arizona state prison contract for systemic failures, yet receives a no-bid ICE contract
  2. Capacity creep: 513 to 775 beds in two weeks shows how initial plans are a floor, not a ceiling
  3. Southern Arizona enforcement hub: With ICE arrests tripling in AZ in FY2025 (6,000+ arrests), this facility fills a geographic gap in detention capacity near the border
  4. Accountability vacuum: As AZ Luminaria reported, the question of who holds an ICE facility accountable in a jurisdiction that opposes it has no clear answer
  5. Federal preemption: Despite unanimous local opposition, MTC owns the property and the federal government can proceed regardless — the Surprise, AZ lesson applies here

Sources

Edit Report issue County profile
Last updated: Apr 13, 2026