On Tuesday, August 26, ABC 8 News first reported Kilmar Abrego Garcia — whose wrongful deportation to El Salvador led to a national debate over the Trump Administration’s immigration policy — is being held at the Farmville Detention Center. In response, local activists have planned a vigil for 4 p.m. Sunday, August 31 at pHunkadelic, a local gathering space near the facility.
Abrego Garcia was originally deported from the United States to El Salvador in March 2025, which the Trump Administration initially called an “administrative error.” He was kept in a Salvadorean prison until June 6, when he was returned to the United States and kept in a Tennessee jail.
After being released and being reunited with his family in Maryland on August 22, he was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on August 25 during a routine check-in. Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said there was “no reason” to take him into custody. “The only reason that they've chosen to take him into detention is to punish him. To punish him for exercising his constitutional rights,” he said.
The Trump Administration has argued Abrego Garcia is a member of the gang MS-13 and is therefore attempting to deport him again. That said, critics and advocates have argued the claim lacks evidence. Abrego Garcia has denied the administration’s allegations.
The administration has now declared their intention to deport Abrego Garcia to Uganda, something U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has ruled they cannot do. On August 25, she ruled the Trump Administration is “absolutely forbidden to remove Abrego Garcia from the continental United States.”
As reported by The Rotunda in March 2024, the Farmville Detention Center has faced numerous accusations of human rights abuses from activists, immigration law centers and other advocacy groups. These include allegations of excessive force, medical negligence and the serving of spoiled and moldy food.
The facility has transferred ownership several times within the last several years. Initially owned by Immigration Centers of America, ownership of the facility was transferred to an affiliate organization, Abyon, LLC, with the same owners, according to FOIA documents obtained by the National Immigrant Justice Center.
While owned by Abyon, LCC, an inspection from ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight (OCO) found 19 violations of ICE detention standards. According to the compliance inspection report, 15 deficiencies/violations were found with the facility’s medical care.
In July, Tennessee-based company CoreCivic bought the facility from Abyon, LLC, for $67 million. Representative Don Beyer, a congressman from Northern Virginia who toured the facility in August, expressed hope in an exclusive interview with ABC 8 News that the ownership transfer could help improve conditions.
“I think CoreCivic taking over was one of the big steps in terms of bringing in a big company with many, many more resources to invest in the things because we want it to be safe for everyone,” Beyer said.
On August 28, Virginia Senator Mark Warner visited Abrego Garcia at the facility to deliver letters from his family. In a video statement posted to social media after the visit, Warner said, “I got a commitment from the private company that runs the facility that they’ll work with us on improving both some of the food and some of the health care [at the facility].”
Abrego Garcia’s detention has raised significant concerns over his constitutional right to due process, as well as treatment of him and other detainees in the Farmville Detention Facility. Activists, including local business owner Allison Crews, have planned a vigil for Sunday, August 31 at pHunkadelic — a local gathering space within walking distance of the Detention Center. The space is owned and operated by Crews.
Crews initially discovered Abrego Garcia had been transferred to the facility based on a tip from an acquaintance, whose name she did not disclose, before the ABC 8 News report at 9:22 a.m. “An acquaintance locally gave me a tip… and I had researched to see that it was true when they said his number was tracked to the facility,” Crews said.
Crews has been involved with protests and demonstrations over the summer against the Trump Administration. Asked about the administration’s shifting policy on immigration, Crews said, “They’re dismantling the foundational elements of our country and our freedoms that should be protected.”
She added, “I’ve been aware of it all along, but even more so in the past few months, just that there’s been more traffic going down the street [to the facility]… I would see a lot more out of state [license] plates, and that’s what got my attention to start asking questions at the county level.”
Ahead of the interview, The Rotunda contacted County Administrator Doug Stanley for his comment on the renewed attention to the Farmville Detention Center and asked if he had visited the facility since the transfer of the contract to Prince Edward County and the sale of the facility to CoreCivic.
In response, Stanley wrote, “We recognize the renewed attention and concern this situation has drawn to our community. The County is committed to transparency and will share any updates we are legally able to provide. While local officials have toured the facility multiple times, our ability to discuss those visits is limited under federal regulations and the Intergovernmental Service Agreement. We encourage anyone with questions about facility operations or conditions to contact the appropriate federal authorities.”
According to Crews and the flyer for the vigil, the “vibe” of the event will be “Love Thy Neighbor.” Crews said she considers herself a neighbor to those at the facility. “I go on the premise of wanting to be a good neighbor, and as a neighbor here, I just want to do what I can to help draw attention to it,” she said.
She also spoke on the support she has received from the community, which she said has been a “mixed bag.” However, Crews stressed the detention facility and Abrego Garcia’s detention impacts all parts of the community.
“I feel like if people are happy people are getting locked up… then they should be concerned with the county and how much money is being paid [to Prince Edward County]. And then there's the other folks like me who want to be compassionate and do what we can to cultivate wellness just in our community, and [the detainees] are a large part of our community, not having chosen to be here. That's why they need extra help to be supported and have their rights,” she said.
She continued, “Due process affects all of us. If they don't get due process, we don't get due process.”
The vigil is planned for Sunday, August 31 at 4 p.m. It will take place at pHunkadelic, located at 2790 West Third Street Farmville, VA, United States, Virginia 23901, around three miles from campus. According to Crews, concerned citizens from Lynchburg and Charlottesville will also be in attendance.
The Rotunda has reached out to Abrego Garcia’s legal counsel for comment and is awaiting a response.
