In a heated board meeting for the town of Mason Tuesday, a contract was approved for CoreCivic to operate a former West Tennessee prison as an immigration detention facility.

Officials in a rural Tennessee town have voted to approve agreements to turn a former prison into an immigration detention facility operated by a private company, despite loud objections from upset residents and activists during a contentious public meeting.

Officials in a small Tennessee town voted Tuesday to reopen a former prison to serve as an immigration detention facility as cities across the country ramp up efforts to advance President Trump’s sweeping immigration agenda.