Private prison firms contributed more than $1M to Trump's reelection. Now they expect a business boomIn the months leading up to Election Day, the nation's largest private prison company poured a million dollars into a super PAC supporting former President
Geo Group could expand the numbers of beds in its detention facilities, offer GPS monitoring for potentially millions of migrants, and ramp up its secure transportation of migrants, according to executives on the Nov. 7 earnings call. Geo Acquisition II contributed $500,000 in February before contributing $250,000 in August and again in September, according to Federal Election Commission records.
"It's still concerning from the perspective of corporations that are looking to drive policy in ways that favor their interests over everyday Americans," said Ghosh.Executives from CoreCivic -- the country's second largest private prison company -- said on a recent earnings call that they are preparing to meet the demand for detention beds that they anticipate from the incoming Trump administration.
Of the $300,000 in contributions made by CoreCivic's PAC, more than $277,000 have gone toward Republican candidates and political action committees.In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for CoreCivic said the company supports candidates and elected officials who "understand important solutions" that the company can provide, like "reducing recidivism, alleviating prison overcrowding, and providing safe, humane immigration capacity.
Under the Trump administration -- when ICE opened 40 new detention facilities, according to the American Civil Liberties Union -- Geo Group's revenue grew from $2.17 billion in 2016 to $2.35 billion in 2020. When President Joe Biden took office and immediately signed anto eliminate the Department of Justice's use of private prisons, he did not include ICE's use of private detention -- and Geo Group's revenue continued to increase to $2.