DHS contractors battle over lucrative deportation enforcement contracts
May 15, 2026

Rival contractors including Salus Worldwide Solutions, GEO Group, and CSI Aviation are competing for federal immigration enforcement contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Salus operates a Trump administration self-deportation program offering free flights and cash to undocumented immigrants, while facing allegations of procurement favoritism. Competitors argue the contracting system incentivizes prolonged detention, with private companies profiting from immigration enforcement regardless of deportation method.
Sources
- Takeaways from AP's reporting on shuttered prisons, mass deportation push and no-bid contracts
Associated Press·Jun 16, 2025·archived copy
- ICE’s Largest Prison Contractors Post Record Revenue
TIME·Feb 12, 2026·archived copy
- pogo.org
- Private Profiteers: How ICE Detention Center Contractors Exploit Immigrant Detainees with $1 Per Day Pay - Public Citizen
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