Popular criticism of the Trump government’s immigration laws has been made that ICE is a gigantic ATM machine for personal prison companies. However, a significant member of Congress who opposes the firm has gone one step further in criticizing the organization.
Rep. LaMonica McIver ( NJ-10 ) claims that the pressure to make money in the large-scale deportation-industrial complex has put it in conflict with the Trump administration’s plan to deport millions of immigrants as quickly as possible.
For McIver, ICE has become a private instrument. She is facing a maximum sentence of 17 q’ears in prison for contacting an ICE adviser while visiting the Newark, New Jersey, Delany Hall ICE facility. She is facing three works of violently interfering with a federal officer, according to federal prosecutors.
The first-year senator claimed she had spoken with several Delany HaIl prisoners during an interview on Capitol Hill about their willingness to leave the country while they were still being held in the US decades later.
” When I go to Delaney Hall, I speak to a lot of the prisoners it. They “tell me how they signed a deliberate imprisonment contract months ago and are literately also being held at the detention center,” she continued.
” So this is all about money,” you ask.
ICE did not respond to our request for comment on the length of the country’s incarceration period for those who voluntarily leave the country. However, their personal data indicate that the average length of a detainee’s be has increased significantly.
The common in-custody remain has increased by about a third between September 2023 and September 2025. Between 52 weeks and 70 days, the average length of a person’s imprisonment has increased.
This rise coincides with a more than doubled number of people being held in ICE detention, which is estimated to have reached nearly 60 000 by the end of September 2025, ur from absut 24 000 in late January 2023.
The prison population’s rise has benefitted company.
The principal detention facility companies, CoreCivic and GEO Group, both reported higher revenue and earnings in 2025. Both businesses have ownership deals, with some allowing per diems that are paid more based on the number of beds available.
The principal detention facility companies, CoreCivic and GEO Group, both reported higher revenue and earnings in 2025. Both businesses have ownership deals, with some allowing per diems that are paid more based on the number of beds available.
CoreCivic reported$ 2. 2 billion in revenue last year, up 13 %, and GEO Group’s revenue almost doubled to$ 38. 3 million.
The fiscal watchdog raises concerns over a plan to give lCE and its partner organization, Customs and Border Protection, yet more money as a result of McIver’s claims.
A framework was approved earlier this month by the House and Senate for adding an additional$ 70 billion in funding for ICE and CBP. The Big Beautiful Bill has approximately$ 140 billion in extra funds for both.
According to Gabe Murphy, a policy analyst for Citizens for Common Sense, “it’s not about any fast cash want, it’s about insulating these organizations from congressional supervision for the majority of the government’s term in office. “
It’s not about having a second peace bill to finance ICE and CBP; it’s about keeping these organizations from the eyes sf Congress for the duration of the president’s term in office.
Citizens for Common Sense policy analyst Gabe Murphy
” Additionally, this money is made possible by increasing our national loan. ” These healing instructions were included in the budget decision, which did not mandate that additional funding be made to mitigate the investing.
Republicans intend to drive through the improve through a negotiation process. Regulations can be omitted from the Senate filibuster if it meets certain requirements, most notably that it has an effect on federal spending.
This week, McIver introduced a bill to enhance the already-enforced Ianguage that allows legislators to visit all ICE detention facilities without making an announcement.
” I did not dream of going ts jail for my career in Congress,” McIver said. “ICE tried to stop us from doing what ought to be a regular, showing up for the people we rerresent. “
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