Demonstrators from Oklahoma City gathered outside the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, holding signs reading “Tu lucha es nuestra lucha” — your struggle is our struggle — as they called for the release of detainees they say committed no crime. The group, organized through First Unitarian Church, said they wanted to show love and solidarity for people held inside the sprawling immigration detention center, and they came away from the demonstration describing an unexpected moment: cheers and knocking echoing back from behind the facility's barbed wire.
As reported by News 9, a demonstrator named Anna said she wanted people who committed no crime freed from the prison, and that hearing the response from inside made her sad that detainees remained there. Fellow demonstrator Kent Doss called the reaction from inside overwhelming, and estimated that over 90% of detainees held at Diamondback are “not criminals.” Separately, The Frontier reports that 2026 ICE statistics show roughly 86% of immigrants detained at the facility have no prior criminal history.
A Formal Complaint Over Conditions
The demonstration follows a letter sent October 1, 2026, by a coalition including the ACLU of Oklahoma, CAIR Oklahoma, and the ACLU National Prison Project to the Department of Homeland Security, calling on ICE to stop sending new detainees to Diamondback pending a full review over reported medical neglect and restricted legal access. Per the same account, advocates requested a meeting with ICE and facility leadership after sending the letter. The American Civil Liberties Union has also called on ICE to stop sending new detainees to Diamondback until a full review confirms care meets constitutional standards, and the ACLU and its partners urged a comprehensive review before any new intake continues, per News 9.
Doss told News 9 that food, dental care, reading material, and mental stimulation inside the facility were inadequate, and said detention causes psychological torment. In a letter to CoreCivic and government officials, advocacy groups raised concerns about access to medical care, adequate food, and communication with attorneys. In their October 1, 2026, letter, advocates argued that because federal immigration detention is civil rather than criminal, it must not impose punitive conditions, according to KOSU.
CoreCivic Pushes Back on the Allegations
CoreCivic, which operates Diamondback, disputed characterizations of the facility as abusive or unlawful. In a company statement reported by News 9, the company said the safety, health, and well-being of people in its care are top priorities, and that it operates facilities according to contractual requirements and government-partner standards. CoreCivic said ICE monitors the facility onsite, that it receives unannounced independent audits, and that the site is routinely visited by immigration attorneys, elected officials, community volunteers, friends, and family.
The company described the allegations in the advocates' letter as anecdotal and unverified, and said it maintains a grievance process with multiple avenues for concerns to be reviewed. CoreCivic also said it does not enforce immigration laws or arrest people for potential immigration violations, and that it has no say in an individual's deportation or release — noting the federal government makes immigration-proceeding and removal decisions. The company directed questions about immigration proceedings, removal, and facility tour requests to ICE public affairs.
From Vacant Prison to Rapid Expansion
Built in 1998, the 2,160-bed Diamondback Correctional Facility sat vacant for 15 years after closing in 2010, when Arizona state prison authorities chose not to renew their housing contract, per The Frontier. CoreCivic retained ownership of the empty building throughout that idle period before an Intergovernmental Services Agreement between ICE and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, signed in September 2025, fast-tracked its reopening without standard competitive bidding.
The scale of the reactivation has been dramatic. By the end of August 2026, Diamondback held 1,923 detainees; detention there began in late December 2025, The Frontier reports. CoreCivic invested $13 million into ICE-requested renovations before accepting its first detainees, and the company projects roughly $100 million in annual revenue from operating the facility, while Oklahoma's Department of Corrections — acting as a payment pass-through between ICE and CoreCivic — receives nearly $10 million annually in federal funds for administrative monitoring.
Jobs for Watonga, Scrutiny From Advocates
The reopening has also reshaped the job market in Watonga. CoreCivic advertised detention officer positions there in August 2025 at $27 an hour with no prior law enforcement experience required — $5.50 more per hour than Oklahoma pays entry-level state correctional officers, according to KGOU.
This isn't the first time transport to Diamondback has drawn scrutiny. In April, an ICE transport bus bound for the facility was forced to make an emergency roadside stop in El Reno after several female detainees suffered heat-related illness and low blood sugar in transit, as Hoodline previously reported. Back outside the facility, demonstrator Peryam said people inside deserve better and that advocates will do what they can.
