- Credibility:
CHICAGO — Enforcing President Trump’s strict immigration policy has been lucrative for some Chicago contractors.
Since the Trump administration began tightening immigration policies, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested an increasing number of undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers.
That makes government contractors even more necessary than before to transport, guard and detain immigrants, as well as to translate and inspect facilities, among other services.
ICE contractors have pulled in billions of dollars over the years. Sludge analyzed all ICE contracts that were ongoing as of July 5 or ended that day. The data — over 6,000 transactions — include contracts with no listed end date.
More than 20 contractors have ongoing contracts with ICE in Illinois, according to a Sludge analysis. Five of those contracts were awarded to businesses in Chicago, the reporters found.
Xerox Corporation, Eco Clean Maintenance Incorporated, Continental Transportation Solutions Inc., CDW Corporation, and Benefit Planning Inc. received $398,494.66 in contracts in Chicago.
While the Trump administration has made the southern border a priority, ICE contractors operate all over the country, including in Illinois. Use the interactive map below to identify where ICE contractors’ operations occur in Illinois, and how much these operations cost.
RELATED: Who Is Making Money from ICE in Your State?
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is among those profiting from the ICE detention center contracts. This year he reported income from a health care group that services U.S. ICE detention centers, according to a Politico report published Monday.
RELATED: Illinois governor profits off ICE detention center contracts
The first year of Trump’s presidency, 2017, saw the largest sum of monetary obligations from ICE to contractors since 2008: $1.7 billion, according to usaspending.gov. This year appears to be on track to easily eclipse that total, according to the Sludge analysis.
Credit: SludgeThe Sludge report found:
“Private prison company GEO Group, based in Boca Raton, Fla., had more than $470 million worth of ongoing contracts as of July 5. Just after Trump won the 2016 election, stocks in GEO Group and in private prison company, CoreCivic, soared in anticipation of tougher immigration policies.
Some well-compensated contractors face abuse allegations. The second-highest total went to Virginia-based private security contractor MVM. The company, which flies unaccompanied children to temporary shelters, is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit and paid a fine last year for racial and religious discrimination against a Muslim security guard.
Maryland-based Maxim Healthcare Services had the third-highest total ($71 million), followed by the U.S. branch of consulting firm Deloitte, the recipient of enormous contracts for various management and support services totaling over $58 million.
Since its inception, ICE has faced abuse and misconduct allegations, including sexual abuse and inhumane conditions. The agency has also faced allegations of endangering public safety by arresting immigrants who report domestic abuse and other crimes.”
To find out what services the various entities are providing for ICE, check out Sludge’s public spreadsheet.
Get more in-depth investigative journalism on lobbying and money in politics at ReadSludge.com.
