The Trump administration sued the state of California on Friday, asserting that a new state law that bans for-profit prison contracts unconstitutionally interferes with the federal prison and immigration detention systems. “California, of course, is free to decide that it will no longer use private detention facilities for its state prisoners and detainees,” the lawsuit said. According to the complaint, about 3,200 federal inmates in California are housed in private detention facilities between those in custody of the U.S. The Florida-based company operates seven of the 10 privately managed prison and immigrant detention facilities in California. Also last month, federal officials signed nearly $6.5 billion in contracts with private prison companies for immigration detention centers — less than two weeks before AB 32 took effect.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 25, 2020 18:56 UTC