ICE to close detention center in Alabama citing "serious deficiencies"

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will close the Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama and will limit the use of three other detention facilities in other states, the agency announced Friday.

Why it matters: The Etowah County Detention Center has been the subject of numerous complaints, including food that did not meet safety standards, unsanitary conditions and overcrowding, per Al.com.

Details: In the statement ICE cited Etowah County Detention Center's "long history of serious deficiencies identified during facility inspections," and said the center is "of limited operational significance to the agency."

• In the statement ICE also said it will reduce or scale back operations in three other facilities: Glades County Detention Center in Florida; Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, and Alamance County Detention Facility in North Carolina.

What they're saying: "ICE will continue to review other immigration detention centers and monitor the quality of treatment of detained individuals, the conditions of detention, and other factors relevant to the continued operation of each facility," ICE said in the statement.

• “These actions should be seen as part of a larger and ongoing review to ensure our detention facilities are not only safe and secure but represent an appropriate use of government funds,” ICE acting director Tae Johnson wrote in an internal email according to the Washington Post.

Go deeper: Biden to stop holding undocumented families in detention centers.