Faith Leaders Lead Protest Against Citizens Bank for Funding ICE Detention Giants

A peaceful but pointed protest unfolded Thursday in Stamford, Connecticut, as a coalition of local interfaith and civic groups marched from Latham Park past UConn Stamford on Broad Street. Their target: Citizens Bank, a major financial institution accused of funding CoreCivic and the GEO Group, the two largest private prison companies heavily invested in ICE detention facilities across the United States.

Protestors argue that by providing financial support to these corporations, Citizens Bank is complicit in the inhumane conditions, civil rights abuses, and systemic cruelty that define the ICE detention system. They are demanding the bank sever its financial relationships with CoreCivic and GEO Group and are urging the public to boycott Citizens Bank until it does.

"This is not a political action. This is a moral action," said Rev. Joseph Rose, one of the clergy members leading the protest. "As spiritual leaders, we feel what is happening in our country right now runs counter to how we believe God calls us to live in community together." Rose emphasized that his faith compels him to support those in need, highlighting the stark contrast between these values and the "chaos and division" perpetuated by the ICE detention regime.

Citizens Bank, which operates numerous branches nationwide including several in Connecticut, responded with a statement emphasizing its commitment to responsible banking and community investment. The bank highlighted its rigorous due diligence and regulatory compliance processes, noting it does not comment on specific client relationships. Citizens Bank also pointed to its substantial community investments, including over $20 million last year and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours by employees supporting thousands of nonprofit organizations.

However, the protestors see these corporate social responsibility claims as insufficient cover for the bank’s role in sustaining a brutal detention system that tears families apart and violates fundamental human rights. Their call to action is clear: Citizens Bank must stop financing private prison companies profiting from ICE detention or face ongoing public pressure and boycott.

This protest is part of a broader movement holding financial institutions accountable for enabling the expansion of the for-profit immigration detention industry—a system marked by documented abuses, deaths in custody, and a lack of transparency and oversight. As Citizens Bank stands at this crossroads, the community’s demand for ethical banking practices and justice for immigrant detainees grows louder and more urgent.