A small town in rural Tennessee will soon be the site of a privately-run Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center.

The town of Mason’s 600-bed prison has been sitting empty for nearly four years, but the West Tennessee Detention Facility will soon be filled with ICE detainees from across the mid-South. The mayor and aldermen narrowly approved the contract at a contentious townhall Tuesday night.

Before a crowd of chanting protestors, Mayor Eddie Noeman stressed the economic opportunities for cash-strapped Mason — and his own status as a first-generation immigrant from Egypt.

“Maybe I agree, disagree, but at the end of the day, I’m (looking) for the benefit of the town of Mason,” Noeman said.

A few Mason residents voiced their support for the contract, but a majority spoke a

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