Thread: W.V.: Facility Backed To Hold Illegals

Facility Backed To Hold Illegals
Posted 2009-07-17

Pendleton Expects Economic Benefits


By Joan Ashley

FRANKLIN, W.Va. - Pendleton County government and business leaders say they support a proposal to build a detention center in Pendleton County for "nonviolent" illegal immigrants.

GSI Professional Corrections approached Pendleton County with the idea, and county officials decided to move forward with it, County Administrator Karen Pitsenbarger said.

In a July 10 letter to U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., county commissioners said they support a "cooperative partnership" with GSI to build and operate the detention center.

County Commission President Judy Hott said the board plans to meet Tuesday to schedule a public hearing on the issue. The hearing, she said, would include Del. Harold Michael, D-Moorefield, and officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and GSI.

Backers: Center Means Jobs

The center would be designed to hold as many as 1,000 detainees in dormitory or group housing, according to plans for the project.

The facility would result in the creation of 250 to 300 "direct and ancillary" jobs, with a combined payroll of more than $2 million, according to its proponents' estimates. Those jobs include more than 200 permanent positions in security, transportation, administration, cooking and cleaning, officials said.

The county also would benefit from a federal reimbursement of $20,000 per month, according to the letter signed by Hott and fellow Commissioners Robert Armentrout and Carl Hevener.

‘Not Pushing Prisons'

Michael said he had met with members of Byrd's staff about the project, but stressed that the proposed detention center was "just in the preliminary stage," and not a done deal by any means.

"The proposal [is to] build a facility in the general area, close to the Harrisonburg [federal] courthouse and D.C.," Michael said.

The delegate said the detention center would give the area a much-needed economic boost.

"We need employment in Pendleton County. Because of the general economy, jobs are extremely scarce," Michael said. "I support any kind of job [creation] we can get in the county that is not detrimental to the county. I'm not pushing for prisons that could cause any concern for the citizens living in the area."

The barracks-style design and type of construction used for the facility would not be appropriate for housing other types of prisoners, Michael said.

Jail cells are needed for inmates being held or sentenced in non-immigrant-related criminal matters, he said.


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Elitist support groups for the ILLEGALS will most likely apply pressure for ILLEGALS to have access to the jobs at the detention center, only half joking. I do respect the community for stepping forward to create jobs in Pendleton County ironically by the detention of the ILLEGAL invaders who have entered the United States to steal Citizen’s jobs.

I guess essentially, we have an abundance of illegal invaders committing so called "non-violent" crimes in this country, that we now have to build detention centers, specifically to house them.

Wouldn't it be more cost effective for everyone to simply secure our border and enforce existing immigration law! This is just one an example of the by-product of ignoring immigration laws. Instead of building a school or library, we build detention centers to house ILLEGALS!

Originally Posted by NoBueno

I guess essentially, we have an abundance of illegal invaders committing so called "non-violent" crimes in this country, that we now have to build detention centers, specifically to house them.

Wouldn't it be more cost effective for everyone to simply secure our border and enforce existing immigration law! This is just one an example of the by-product of ignoring immigration laws. We have to build detention centers to house ILLEGALS!

Yes it would be more cost effective , but Just follow the money! Our Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Political Contributors profit to much from the ILLEGALS.

Of course they don't want the problem in their back yard however the problem already exists in all of our back yards and the problem with the ILLEGALS continues to grow larger and a threat to all U.S. Citizens! The problem for at least the last 20 years is too many Elitist Politicians from both major Political Parties, have been willing to turn the United States into a welfare state to insure most of our citizens obtain Third World status by importing ILLEGALS for "cheap labor" to take United States Citizen’s jobs for their Political Contributors and Special Interest Groups or outsourcing United States Citizen’s jobs to Third World Countries. Too many U.S. Citizens are wrapped up into "winning one" for their political party and our nation's survival becomes secondary to PARTY Loyalty! Senator Byrd for the most part has been on the correct side of the ILLEGAL issue the junior Senator will most always vote from pressure.

But . . . this isn't going to cost anything, right? Because we all know that illegals contribute more than they cost us . . .

I noticed a couple of ILLEGALS or Pro-ILLEGAL posters are commenting on the source article claiming that the ILLEGALS had the "right" to U.S. jobs and only want to better their families.