Your County Is Being Pitched.
Here's What to Do.
Five steps from discovery to action. Each builds on the last. Speed matters — the most effective tactic is acting before the deal closes.
Check the heat map
Find your county. A high score means multiple independent signals are converging — IGSA agreements, consultant activity, 287(g) expansions, real estate traces. The more signal types, the more likely your county is being actively targeted.
Learn the playbook
Detention consultants follow a repeatable formula: sheriff recruitment at conferences, closed-session presentations, NDA-protected negotiations, then a commission vote framed as fiscal salvation. Knowing the playbook helps you recognize what stage you're in.
File public records requests
The FOIA generator creates a ready-to-send records request targeting the five categories that surface detention pipeline activity: consultant communications, closed-session agendas, IGSA agreements, financial analyses, and sheriff correspondence with ICE.
Learn from fights that won
Of 13 documented fights, at least 7 have blocked or paused detention proposals. The tactics that worked: pressuring the seller, denying water/sewer infrastructure, state AG lawsuits, environmental challenges, and acting fast.
Report what you find
Every verified signal makes the early warning system more effective for the next community. Spotted a commission agenda item? A job posting? A warehouse sale near a county jail? Your local knowledge is the one thing automation can't replace.
The single most important variable is speed.
Kansas City won because the council acted within hours. Surprise, Arizona lost because the purchase was already complete. Early detection is everything.
Check your county now →