GEO Group hiring in anticipation of opening Karnes Civil Detention Center

The GEO Group is hiring in anticipation of opening its Karnes County Civil Detention Ce

nter in Karnes City, according to an article in the South Texas usiness Journal (James Aldridge, "GEO Group to hire 400 positions in South Texas," November 17):

"Workforce Solutions Alamo is hosting a job fair in Floresville, Texas, to help GEO Group    to fill 400 jobs just south of San Antonio.

The company is building a new facility in Kenedy, Texas, and needs to fill open and available positions. Interested applicants should visit www.workintexas.com to see a list of available jobs. The job fair will be held at the Floresville Workforce Center on Nov. 29 from noon to 7 p.m. The pay range for the positions ranges from $9 per hour to $70,000 per year."

The facility is actually under construction and is just outside of Karnes City, and not Kenedy. It would be interesting to see which of the positions pay $9 an hour. 

As we've reported, the choice of GEO Group - perhaps Texas' most troubled private prison corporate - to operate Immigration and Custom's Enforcement's new model immigration detention center has raised eyebrows and opposition, including from my organization.  This opposition included a letter sent from 15 Texas-based civil and immigrant rights organizations to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano expressing opposition to the facility. 

We'll keep you posted on developments from Karnes County.