CoreCivic to expand detention center in San Diego County

A contractor working for private prison company CoreCivic is seeking construction permits to expand Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The plans include addition of 512 beds to the facility. The project is valued at more than $6 million, according to the permit application filed in mid-June with the county, the Times reported.

Otay Mesa Detention Center is the only immigration detention facility in San Diego County. It contracts directly with the federal government to hold people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody while they wait for hearings in immigration court, according to the newspaper.