A few private prison companies operate the bulk of the prisons across the
United States, including GEO Group and Corrections Corporation of America
(CCA). In recent years, these companies have expanded their operations
into the business of operating immigration detention centers. This is
due in large part to the high profits that these companies see from operating
immigration detention centers. In 2009, Congress inserted an immigration
detention quota into the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations
Act of 2010, which mandates Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
to contract for and fill 33,400 (now 34,000) detention beds daily. This
bed mandate has driven not only immigration enforcement to become more
and more aggressive, but also has significantly increased profits for
the private prison companies that are operating these facilities. In 2009,
private prison companies operated facilities containing 49% of immigration
detention beds. By 2015, that share had risen to 64%. GEO Group and CCA
alone own facilities that hold 72% of all immigration detention beds.
Likewise, private prison companies now operate nine out of the ten largest
immigration detention centers in the country; GEO Group or CCA operates
eight of those nine facilities. Additionally, CCA, in particular, is taking
steps to ensure its hold on the immigration detention facility business;
between 2008 and 2014, CCA spent over $10 million lobbying on issues related
to immigration reform and enforcement. GEO Group also has begun spending
substantial amounts on lobbying in recent years. In light of Trump’s
emphasis on immigration enforcement, which has escalated the rate of immigrant
detentions, private prisons stand to profit even more significantly than
they have in the past. A leaked White House memo revealed a recommendation
that ICE begin incarcerating 80,000 individuals each day, as well as build
new immigration detention centers, lease cells in local jails to hold
immigrants, and sign new contracts, ostensibly with private prison companies.
Currently, ICE incarcerates between 31,000 and 34,000 immigrants per day.
This enormous increase in detention beds and immigration enforcement could
cost upwards of $2 billion in new federal government funding each, according
to some estimates. When you or a loved one are detained and face deportation
for any reason,
Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C.
is here to help. We care about you, your family, and your ability to remain
in the U.S. As a result, our California deportation defense lawyers stand
ready to build the strongest possible deportation defense case on your
behalf. Contact your
Oakland immigration lawyer
today and learn how we can advocate for you and your family in your deportation
proceedings.
Categories:
Starting June 1, 2020, we are open for in-person consultations! We have social distancing protocols in place to keep everyone safe.
Please DOWNLOAD our FREE GUIDE for Immigrants to THRIVE during the COVID-19 Pandemic ( English / Español )!