ICE contracts fuel revenue surge for owners of for-profit immigration detention centers

Source: Scripps News

Posted 7:43 PM, Feb 16, 2026


The first year of President Trump's push to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants was a financial boon for two companies that own and operate private detention centers.

CoreCivic and The GEO Group both reported their year-end earnings for 2025. Each company reported seeing a boost in revenue of more than 13 percent, both making more than $2 billion. GEO Group's executive chairman George Zoley called 2025 the "most successful year for new business wins in our company's history."

The two companies opened nine new detention centers across the country under contracts with ICE, adding thousands more beds able to hold arrested immigrants who are awaiting deportation hearings.

The Scripps News ICE Inc. series of investigative reports has uncovered complaints about inadequate medical care, understaffing, and overcrowding at some for-profit detention centers. Two cases of measles were reported at a family detention center in Dilley, Texas, owned and operated by CoreCivic. During their earnings calls, company leaders did not address reports of problems at their lockups but said they take seriously the wellbeing of those in their care.

Read more: https://www.scrippsnews.com/investigations/ice-inc/ice-contracts-fuel-revenue-surge-for-owners-of-for-profit-immigration-detention-centers