For-profit detention centers managed by companies like CoreCivic and GEO Group, which closed their doors due to poor conditions and inadequate care, are now receiving federal funding from the Trump administration to reopen and update these old, dilapidated facilities. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) put out a federal solicitation, seeking five or more qualifying vendors for new detention facilities and related services, at a budget of up to $45B over the next two years.
During Congressman Jamie Raskin’s visit to Long Island on Saturday, May 3, 2025, Veris Media Group LLC learned that the House Judiciary Committee is planning to cut funding for social infrastructure programs like opioid treatment and domestic violence centers. At the same time, they aim to allocate an extra $81 billion to ICE and family detention centers. Raskin told the crowd that Democrats attempted to add an amendment to block this funding increase but were ultimately defeated.
On July 1, 2025, the U.S. Senate took the first step toward passing the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which contains ramifications against the immigrant community. The bill allocates about $150 billion for military spending over four years. Of this, $60 billion is earmarked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to build physical barriers along the northern and southern borders. Another $46.5 billion is assigned to the House Homeland Security Committee to create an “integrated border barrier system” with fencing, water barriers, and advanced technology like movement sensors. The bill also increases ICE’s budget by $10 billion, raising it to over $12 billion, to fund about 18,000 new border patrol agents.
To offset potential revenue losses, spending will be cut across many programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which over 40 million low-income Americans depend on. Immigrant services, such as applying for asylum, could now cost up to $1,000, a fee that was previously free. Employment applications may add another $550 in fees. These changes would create significant financial challenges for immigrants seeking humanitarian protection or job opportunities. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will increase federal deficits by $3.3 trillion over the next decade, from 2025 to 2034. Supporters hope to pass the legislation before the July 4, 2025 deadline set by President Trump. However, opponents, including Elon Musk, former Special Government Employee and leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have criticized the bill as harmful to Americans.
The United States has a long history of xenophobic and discriminatory anti-immigrant extremism. Immigration laws have often targeted people based on their national origin, race, or ethnicity. Immigrants are frequently seen as foreigners or outsiders who threaten America’s traditional values. Over time, attention has increasingly focused on the southern border and immigrants from Latin America.
The Immigration Act of 1924 established the United States Border Patrol to prevent illegal crossings along the Mexico-United States Border. With the country reliant on cheap labor, the Border Patrol allowed some immigration but introduced deterrence measures to limit crossings and boost apprehensions. In 1996, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) significantly increased border enforcement and immigrant detention. Critics have argued that the law removes due process and expedites deportations.
Special Interest for Cabinet Members
According to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks and publishes data on campaign finances, The GEO Group, Inc. has routinely made political contributions in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), which bars companies from making political contributions while engaged in active contracts with the federal government. The GEO Group, Inc. made $3,718,518 political contributions as a company in 2024. In addition, their subsidiary Geo Acquisition II Inc., made $150,000 in political contributions to the Congressional Leadership Fund in 2023, despite previously violating FECA with a $125,000 political contribution to a Political Action Committee (PAC) in 2018. These numbers also fail to account for direct contributions from former CEO Brian Evans, and Founder George Zoley. Similarly, CoreCivic, Inc. made $784,974 in political contributions during the 2024 election cycle.
Beyond Trump’s 2024 campaign promises of an immigration crackdown and mass deportations, key cabinet members with ties to private prison profiteering have played a major role in his executive actions. Most notably, Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed by Trump, was a registered lobbyist for GEO Group in 2019. She lobbied to promote “public-private partnerships in correctional services,” according to Truthout; a conflict of interest she did not disclose to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Since her appointment as Attorney General, Bondi has been at the epicenter of controversy surrounding the immigration court system, which is overseen by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). On March 31, 2025, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (D-CA) joined 64 House and Senate Democrats in sending a letter to Bondi requesting that she reverse a February decision to terminate immigration judges, Board of Immigration Appeals (BOIA) judges, and members of the senior leadership team at EOIR.
Bondi never replied to the letter. In April 2025, the Los Angeles Times reported that at least 8 more immigration judges had been fired. Experts believe this move aims to let Trump control the courts, or “bend the courts to his will.” Over 100 supporting court staff have also resigned from the EOIR. On April 11, 2025, acting Director Sirce Owen sent a memo to staff urging remaining judges to skip asylum hearings and decide asylum cases based only on the submitted request forms.
In June 2025, Trump continued reshaping the immigration court system. He reappointed Matthew O’Brien as Assistant Chief Immigration Judge. O’Brien, originally appointed by Trump, was dismissed by the Biden administration after his two-year probation. Known for his tough stance on immigration, O’Brien has denied most asylum cases he handled. Before becoming a judge, he worked for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a think tank advocating for lower migration levels and stricter border controls, according to OPB.org.
As immigration cases face longer court wait times, private detention companies expect to profit from extended detention periods. Both The GEO Group and CoreCivic predict strong growth in the second half of 2025. According to a first quarter report from The GEO Group, they attribute this to recent heavy investments in expanding detention facilities, secure transportation, and electronic monitoring services.
Beyond direct investments in private detention firms, the Project on Government Oversight reveals that Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s hardline immigration policies, owns up to $250,000 in Palantir stock. Palantir plays a key role in ICE’s operations through the development of ImmigrationOS, the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System. In April 2025, it was reported that ICE awarded Palantir a $30 million contract for the new platform that offers “near real-time visibility” on individuals. According to Axios, this system can track self-deportations and “help the agency track and manage deportations, monitor visa overstays and target transnational criminal groups.”
Elon Musk has long-standing ties with Palantir’s Founder and Chairman, Peter Thiel, and Chief Executive Officer, Alex Karp. In April 2025, it was announced that Musk’s SpaceX may enter into a potential partnership with Palantir to develop parts of Trump’s “Golden Dome” middle defense system. By May 2025, Musk’s AI company, xAI, also teamed up with Palantir to enter the financial services and insurance markets. While leading DOGE, Musk terminated government contracts with major tech firms, including canceling 15 contracts with IBM during the first quarter of 2025. At the same time, the Trump administration strengthened its partnership with Palantir, awarding the company over $113 million in federal contracts. This amount excludes additional deals from the Department of Homeland Security, the Pentagon, and the Department of Defense, which recently granted Palantir a $795 million contract. These funds came after Trump signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to share data. Soon after, Foundry, Palantir’s central platform for data-driven decision-making and situational awareness, was adopted into a number of federal agencies.
Trump’s Reinvestment in Private Detention
Documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reveal that the Trump administration plans to quickly expand the largest immigration detention system in the world. ICE has begun accepting contractor proposals for detention and related services under a new strategic sourcing vehicle. Tom Homan, White House Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations and Trump’s “Border Czar,” told NBC News that ICE needs a total of 100,000 beds. This is a major jump from the roughly 41,000 beds currently approved by Congress.
Some U.S. states have banned private detention centers, while others continue to view them as opportunities for economic growth. For every dollar ICE spends on detaining immigrants at these facilities, companies like The GEO Group, Inc. make 83 cents in profit. Damon Hininger, CEO of CoreCivic, said during an earnings call that the company expects significant growth—potentially the largest in its history—over the next four years.
Earlier this year, ICE announced it will reopen Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, a facility owned by The GEO Group, Inc., with a capacity of up to 1,000 beds. Reopened in May 2025, it became the largest immigrant detention center on the East Coast. The reopening includes a guaranteed 15-year contract worth $1 billion. This will be New Jersey’s second privately run detention center, alongside the Elizabeth Detention Center, despite Governor Phil Murphy’s 2021 law banning state, local, and private contracts for detaining noncitizens.
In February 2023, CoreCivic, the company managing Elizabeth Detention Center, sued the state, leading to an appeal of the law. U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch ruled in favor of CoreCivic and the U.S. Department of Justice, declaring part of the New Jersey law unconstitutional. He said it violated the Constitution’s supremacy clause and hindered federal immigration enforcement. New Jersey has since challenged this ruling with the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. The hearing took place on May 1, 2025, but a decision is not expected for several months. Veris Media Group LLC has reached out to Governor Phil Murphy’s office for comment but has not received a response.
Outside New Jersey, several Midwest and West Coast states—including Kansas, Michigan, California, and Texas—have announced plans to reopen CoreCivic facilities. These moves have sparked controversy and opposition from local residents and officials. The Midwest Regional Reception Center, formerly known as Leavenworth Detention Center, faced strong backlash from the community and city leaders. The city of Leavenworth, Kansas, filed a federal lawsuit arguing that reopening the inactive site requires a special use permit. CoreCivic counters that the center never officially closed and has maintained a 24-hour maintenance staff, so a permit is unnecessary. In mid-March 2025, CoreCivic withdrew its permit application. However, with an Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) established between CoreCivic and ICE, city officials fear the federal Supremacy Clause may be used to override their authority.
As federal immigration enforcement grows and private detention centers expand, activists have also raised concerns about the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. They claim the facility resumed separating parents from their children after the Trump administration reversed Biden’s executive order banning private, for-profit detention centers. This family separation policy first intensified during Obama’s administration in 2014. Immigration advocates publicly criticized Obama for awarding a $1 billion contract to CoreCivic to expand family detention amid rising Central American migration. In 2015, the practice was ruled unlawful under the Flores Agreement, a 1997 court settlement that requires children to be held only in licensed facilities and released without unnecessary delay. Despite this, the Obama administration defended family detention, arguing it discouraged Central American families from coming to the U.S.
Uncertainty and Fear in Immigrant Communities
With immigration raids, detentions, and deportations on the rise, immigrants are experiencing greater fear and uncertainty in their communities. To safeguard their safety and privacy, Veris Media Group LLC used pseudonyms and guaranteed full anonymity for those interviewed in the Long Island immigrant community.
Maria, a first-generation immigrant from El Salvador, expressed her fear and anxiety. “I’m pretty scared and anxious,” she said. “Our community has come together, but experiencing this in real time is pretty terrifying.” Her worries come as ICE raids rise in her neighborhood, with agents targeting local businesses and arresting workers during their daily commutes. José, an immigrant from Guatemala, shared similar fears, describing night raids with flashing lights, loud yelling, and banging on doors.
Recent data shows an increase in ICE activity in the tri-state area, especially on Long Island. This region holds about 5% of the 95,000 detainees in custody nationwide. Islip Forward, a local group monitoring immigration enforcement, has confirmed 37 sightings in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Reports come from communities such as Bellport, Brentwood, Port Jefferson, and Glen Cove. Witnesses often describe agents wearing plain clothes and using unmarked vehicles.
Several protests have erupted in nearby towns as supporters rally for local immigrants, friends, and families. In Hempstead, residents joined an “ICE Out of Hempstead” march at a parking lot known by locals for frequent ICE arrests. One such arrest was Nuvia Martinez Ventura, a Brentwood mother of five, who has since been transferred to the Houston Contract Detention Facility in Texas. Outside the Nassau County Courthouse in Mineola, thousands took part in a “No Kings” rally, one of about 2,000 protests nationwide. Organizers connected the event to a larger movement opposing what they called authoritarian actions that unfairly affect working-class families and threaten democracy.
Both sources told Veris Media Group LLC that someone close to them is being held in an undisclosed detention center with no outside contact. “When you’re in an ICE detention center, you’re not allowed to speak to anybody, unless they are direct family,” said a first-generation immigrant from El Salvador. “I had an uncle who was deported and he was in a detention center for two months before he was actually sent to Guatemala.”
Following recent ICE operations in Westbury and Brentwood, several detainees were moved to federal facilities without public disclosure of their locations. Long Island residents have reportedly been sent to high-security jails like the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, known for limited legal access. Legal advocates report strict limits on detainees’ communication with lawyers and few chances for proper consultations. ICE has also transferred immigrants to the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia and the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania. The latter is a for-profit facility owned by The Geo Group, Inc., which has been criticized for poor conditions and detainee deaths. As ICE expands its use of regional facilities in the Northeast, families often struggle to find their loved ones, causing confusion in affected communities.