The CEO of a private prison company expressed excitement about the Trump administration’s plans to expand detention facilities for undocumented immigrants, with a potential cost of over $45 billion. The administration aims to remove 1 million people annually to fulfill Trump’s campaign promise of conducting the largest deportation operation in history. ICE is hiring private contractors to help manage and detain individuals, with plans to add up to 60,000 new detention beds this year.
The administration faces challenges, including insufficient detention capacity, which led to the consideration of detaining individuals at Guantanamo Bay or outsourcing to El Salvador. ICE is willing to spend up to $45 billion to add more beds, which has caused private prison contractors’ stock prices to soar. The Laken Riley Act, which requires ICE to detain immigrants accused of specific crimes, is expected to require additional beds.
Critics are concerned about the lack of oversight with the expanded use of contractors and the dismantling of monitoring systems within ICE. The ACLU has raised alarms about the massive spending on detention facilities while other government services face cutbacks. The increased funding for mass deportations has sparked controversy and debate about the treatment of detainees and the effectiveness of the administration’s immigration policies.
