Governor Abigail Spanberger is putting the brakes on one of former Governor Glenn Youngkin’s last acts in office— a memo directing the manager of state properties to pick a specific contractor for a would-be ICE detention center in Augusta County.
In a memo submitted to the Department of General Services Wednesday, Governor Spanberger asked the agency to restart the review process. Additional documents show that request included the selection of a specific contractor to purchase the shuttered Augusta Correctional Center in Craigville.
“Based on review, Moxie Asset Group LLC, with an offer in the amount of $3.25 million, represented the best outcome for the Commonwealth,” the memo from Youngkin, dated January 16th, reads. That was the day before Spanberger's inauguration.
According to those familiar with the matter, no lease was signed. Spanberger’s new memo rescinds Youngkin’s demand and reopens the review process for DGS to consider new buyers.
When asked if Spanberger, who would have the final say on any state land transaction, would approve the sale of the property to a company that would turn it into an ICE facility, a spokesperson for her administration wouldn’t comment.
Augusta Correctional Center in Craigsville closed in 2024, as Virginia looked to reduce incarceration numbers and the facility itself fell into disrepair.
But according to documents released by the ACLU of Virginia Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security received a proposal for reopening the shuttered prison after publishing a request for information.
“We propose the Augusta Correctional Facility in Craigsville, Virginia - a decommissioned REDACTED facility with significant infrastructure that can be operational within 90 days,” reads the executive summary of the proposal. The contractor’s name was redacted throughout the document.
Republican Delegate Chris Runion, who represents Craigsville, said he opposed the idea.
“I think there’s a lot of positive attributes in the Craigsville community," Runion told Radio IQ Thursday. "They’ve got a great little elementary school that's just exceptional. They’ve got excess water and sewer capacity now. And so, we could develop some residential or some light commercial, something that makes sense for that community and not have to build new infrastructure.”
Runion made the comment just as the House floor session ended Thursday afternoon and as House Speaker Don Scott walked by. After hearing Runion's disinterest in the idea, Scott provided a rare moment of legislative deal making in real time.
“Good we in agreement, Boom!," Scott said.
"It’s the wrong use for the area. Now, I may come to you and ask for some money to do some good things out there," Runion said.
Scott responded: "Some economic development on that? We can agree on that. Yeah, let's do that."
"But let's keep the ICE detention police out of the area for now," the speaker added.
Sophia Gregg is ACLU of Virginia’s Senior Immigrants' Rights Attorney. She said ICE’s recent history showed a spike in detainee deaths, and that showed a “clear disregard for the health and welfare of those in custody.”
When informed about Del. Runion’s opposition, Gregg welcomed the news.
“It’s clear nobody wants ice detention in their locality,” she told Radio IQ. “A new detention center would be a blight on the Commonwealth.”
