For-Profit ICE Detention Giants See Temporary Dip in Detainee Numbers Amid Leadership Chaos

The two largest private prison companies profiting from ICE detention, CoreCivic and GEO Group, have reported a surprising drop in the number of immigrants held in their facilities since President Trump took office again. Both companies disclosed during their first-quarter 2026 earnings calls that detainee numbers fell by roughly 3,000 from peak levels reached in January.

This decline coincided with turmoil at the Department of Homeland Security, including the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and the long partial government shutdown, which forced ICE agents to be reassigned to airport security roles supporting unpaid TSA workers. The companies emphasized this dip as a temporary, event-driven anomaly.

“We believe this decline is temporary and event specific,” said CoreCivic CEO Patrick Swindle. “While we cannot predict how quickly population growth will resume, the administration continues to indicate a strong emphasis on border security and active ICE enforcement.”

Despite fewer detainees, both companies reported significant revenue gains fueled largely by ICE contracts. CoreCivic’s revenue rose 25 percent year-over-year, while GEO Group’s earnings increased 17 percent. GEO Group also secured a new $60 million government contract to enhance ICE’s “skip tracing” efforts—locating undocumented immigrants—as well as expanding the use of ankle monitors to track detainees.

The earnings calls revealed ICE is negotiating to outright purchase 10 private detention centers rather than lease them. GEO Group CEO George Zoley admitted this move aims to shield ICE from mounting oversight and lawsuits, especially in blue states where legal challenges over medical care, food quality, and facility cleanliness have surged.

“There has been litigation regarding overseeing medical services, food services, general cleanliness, etc and it’s really unprecedented,” Zoley said, acknowledging the growing pushback against private detention abuses.

Meanwhile, Scripps News’ yearlong ICE Inc. investigation continues to document systemic neglect and inadequate medical care at private detention centers nationwide, contributing to a record high number of deaths in ICE custody.

ICE’s ambitious plan to convert 11 warehouses into detention centers has stalled, with DHS currently reevaluating how to consolidate its detention capacity, Zoley revealed.

This snapshot exposes the relentless expansion and privatization of immigration detention under Trump’s watch, despite public outcry and legal battles exposing the inhumane conditions inside these lockups. The temporary dip in detainees offers no relief for the thousands still trapped in a system designed for profit over justice.