Patrick Swindle

Private prison operator CoreCivic reported a significant revenue jump fueled by contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which led to revenue increasing over 50% from ICE alone. The company also earned $2.2 billion through real estate sales to the federal government, including deals with the Department of Homeland Security. Critics have condemned these profits, stating that federal contracts now account for more than half of CoreCivic’s overall revenue.

A former Minnesota private prison, Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, will reopen as an immigrant detention center under a CoreCivic federal contract starting in August 2026, housing 1,600 detainees by 2027 and generating $75 million annually.

CoreCivic, a private prison company, will pay approximately $350,000 to equip officers with body cameras at Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility, though the delayed pilot program will not start on July 1 and some footage will be exempt from public records. The prison, under a federal civil rights investigation, faces criticism over past incidents, and the state senator overseeing the legislation has extended the program's deadline to ensure compliance.

ICE is in talks to buy turnkey immigration detention facilities from its vendors after facing backlash for its plan to rapidly renovate warehouses into large-scale detention spaces. The goal is to own its detention spaces and develop a nationwide network of larger facilities. ICE currently has about 200 detention facilities around the country.