ICE Eyes 3,000-Bed Arkansas Prison Site; Locals Stage Open-Mic Protest In Franklin County

Opponents of Arkansas’s proposed 3,000-bed Franklin County prison will host an ice cream social and open-mic night in Charleston to mark one year since the site was announced. The event is part of sustained local opposition over costs and infrastructure at the Mill Creek Mountain site. Earlier reporting by THV11 and Talk Business & Politics indicated ICE agents visited the site and discussed potential federal immigration detention use with a governor’s advisor, adding a federal enforcement dimension to the state project. Legislative funding for the prison remains stalled, intensifying community pushback and political scrutiny.