The Trump administration’s new strategy of purchasing privately owned detention centers has already flooded one company with cash, and it’s worrying immigration advocates that it will upend local oversight efforts.
Over the past two months, the Department of Homeland Security has purchased four lockups in California, Minnesota and Kansas totaling $2.2 billion from CoreCivic, one of two major players in the immigration detention industry.
The federal government is likely to take ownership of even more detention centers owned by CoreCivic and its main competitor, the Geo Group. The companies’ top executives highlighted their negotiations with the Trump administration for further sales during calls with investors Thursday.