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Community, Health, and Family

News Media and ICE Detention Facilities in Rural communities of the U.S. Southeast Tolulope Adeusi*, Tolulope Adeusi, Diego Thompson,

During the past year, the presence and activities of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) aimed at detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants have intensified and become increasingly visible across the United States. In response, federal efforts to expand detention capacity have included the construction and proposal of new large-scale facilities, many of which are located in rural communities. These developments position rural areas as key sites in the contemporary governance of immigration. Despite growing scholarship on immigration enforcement, limited attention has been paid to its implications in rural contexts. This gap is particularly salient in the U.S. Southeast, a region shaped by post-plantation social structures, entrenched racial inequalities, and emerging immigrant populations, as well as a history of reliance on carceral economies. Drawing on a qualitative content analysis of news media coverage, this study examines how ICE detention facilities are portrayed and how rural communities respond to their presence. Findings indicate that media attention to this issue increased markedly in early 2026, with coverage frequently highlighting the perspectives of rural residents. Media narratives reveal that proposed and newly developed facilities have generated significant local controversy, with many communities expressing opposition and resistance. These findings point to a tension between broader political support for restrictive immigration policies among rural residents and localized opposition when such policies are materially embedded in local communities. This tension underscores the importance of place-based analyses for understanding the uneven social and political dynamics of immigration enforcement in rural America.