Private Prison Investors Slam ICE for Not Filling Detention Beds Fast Enough
Private prison investors are openly criticizing the federal immigration agency ICE for not filling detention beds fast enough, according to reporting from The Appeal. On recent quarterly earnings calls, participants representing CoreCivic and GEO Group expressed frustration that ICE’s detained population, though at record highs, remains below what investors expected — and below the levels that would maximize their profits.
The tension underscores a growing conflict between public safety policy and private corporate interests tied to immigration enforcement.
Investors told company leadership that they had hoped to see ICE detaining around 100,000 people daily, but the population was instead “a little over 70,000.” Both CoreCivic and GEO Group have seen major revenue increases from ICE contracts: CoreCivic’s ICE-linked revenues more than doubled recently, and GEO Group reported billions in 2025 and expects growth in 2026.
The majority of people held by ICE are detained in for-profit facilities operated by these companies. The Appeal’s investigation also noted that CoreCivic and GEO Group have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to members of Congress, especially Republican lawmakers who oversee ICE funding.
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“One of the big questions … the pace of detention by ICE … below what investors thought,” one participant said on an earnings call.
This dynamic reflects how corporate financial incentives can align with enforcement policies, raising questions about whether for-profit motives influence detention trends and legislative priorities.
What happens next: financial analysts and activists will be watching upcoming ICE deportation and detention policy announcements, as well as future earnings calls, for signs of whether this investor pressure affects how the agency manages its population.
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