CORRECTION: The original version of this story misattributed this quote: “The detention of these recent arrivals at the Wyatt is abhorrent to the ethos of the city, a predominantly immigrant and first-generation American city.”

PROVIDENCE — Bondholders filed suit in federal court Wednesday against the City of Central Falls and Central Falls Detention Facility Corporation, seeking to block the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees as ordered by the facility's governing board on Friday.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, Providence, claims that removal of ICE detainees would adversely affect Wyatt's assets. It also seeks to place the facility into receivership.

The complaint — filed on behalf of UMB Bank by Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. and Duffy & Sweeney Ltd. — says that the board's decision could cost bondholders more than $130 million.

Joseph Molina Flynn, chair of the detention center's board of directors, said Wednesday night, "We are hopeful that we may be able to come to an amicable resolution."

Also named in the lawsuit are Mayor James A. Diossa and all members of the City Council minus Agostinho Silva and Robert Ferri, and each of the facility's directors, minus Silva. Ferri voted no on Friday and Silva, a member of both the City Council and the Wyatt board of directors, recused himself from the proceedings.

About 60 ICE detainees remain at Wyatt following the board's decision Friday to suspend its contract with the agency and to direct Warden Daniel W. Martin to return the detainees to ICE within seven days.

The agreement in question was signed on Jan. 9 by Warden Martin — who was not named in the suit — as an addendum to a contract previously signed with the U.S. Marshals Service.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday says an appointed receiver "would support the warden’s day-to-day management and enable the corporation to maintain its legally mandated independence from the city and state."

Martin signed the deal without having the agreement to reserve 225 beds for ICE detainees vetted by the board of directors, according to Molina Flynn.

Wyatt received the 133 detainees, detained as part of the Trump administrations zero tolerance initiatives along the southern border, on March 10.

Following public revelation of ICE's presence on March 22, the City Council, led by President Maria Rivera, led several protest marches against Wyatt, urging an end to the contract.

Diossa expressed support for Rivera's position on multiple occasions.

"The change in prisoner composition at the Wyatt was not approved by the board of the corporation and was communicated to the board and the city in a false light," Nicholas J. Hemond, a lawyer for the city, wrote to lawyers representing the bondholders on April 8. "The detention of these recent arrivals at the Wyatt is abhorrent to the ethos of the city, a predominantly immigrant and first-generation American city."

"This municipal detention center was meant to be an asset to the people of the city, not a source of fear, panic and distress to the residents."

Adrienne Walker, an attorney for bondholders, declined to comment.

— kandrade@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @Kevprojo