Key Takeaways
• GEO Group secured a $1 billion, 15-year ICE contract for Delaney Hall Facility in Newark, NJ.
• The contract allows GEO Group to process and detain up to 1,000 immigrants, expanding their national influence.
• Local leaders, federal officials, and courts continue challenging the private detention contract’s legality and oversight.
In February 2025, GEO Group announced it had secured a 15-year fixed-price contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate its Delaney Hall Facility. This facility, located in Newark, New Jersey, will serve as a central site for federal immigration processing. The agreement, set at around $1 billion, is one of the largest and longest ever for ICE and signals a shift in how immigration detention is managed.
This new partnership brings both opportunities and worries. While GEO Group expects steady revenue growth and aims to expand its services, many people and organizations have raised concerns about what this contract means for immigrants, local government, and the role of private companies in the United States 🇺🇸 immigration system.
What Is the Delaney Hall Facility Contract?
The deal gives GEO Group responsibility for the Delaney Hall Facility for 15 years—an unusually long period for these types of agreements. The contract includes annual cost of living adjustments, meaning the value could grow as the years go by. GEO Group predicts it will earn over $60 million in yearly revenue once the contract is fully in place.
Delaney Hall has about 1,000 beds and is next to a county prison in Newark. Before this contract, the building operated as a halfway house. Now, its main purpose will be to handle federal immigration processing, helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement manage the flow of detainees in New Jersey and nearby areas.
The long-term nature of this contract shows just how central the Delaney Hall Facility will become for immigration enforcement in the region.
The GEO Group’s Growing Role with ICE
GEO Group is not new to this field. It publicly calls itself the “single largest contractor to ICE” and says it is the “largest provider of secure transportation services for ICE.” In fact, the company operates 50 different facilities across the United States 🇺🇸, with the ability to hold more than 60,000 people.
Recent numbers show that GEO Group’s business with ICE is only growing. In the 2024 fiscal year alone, ICE directed $747.4 million in contracts to GEO Group. This means the company is handling a huge part of the United States 🇺🇸 government’s immigrant detention work.
Before the Newark deal was even announced, GEO Group spent $70 million to boost its capacity. This spending went into things like more beds, better transportation, and new electronic monitoring tools—helping the company get ready for an even larger partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Clearly, GEO Group sees the federal government’s needs as a source of growth and wants to be at the center of any future expansion in immigration enforcement.
What Does This Contract Mean for Immigrants and Their Families?
Since the Delaney Hall Facility will become a major processing center for immigrants, the contract has real effects on people caught up in the immigration system.
Impact on Detainees
- More bed space means more people might be held in detention while their immigration status is decided or while waiting for deportation.
- The facility is likely to house people arrested far from their families, lawyers, or support networks, which can make it harder for them to get help or attend court.
- Given its size, Delaney Hall could impact large numbers of families who may have loved ones held there.
Impact on Local Community
While the facility brings jobs to the Newark area, it has also sparked strong opposition among residents and local leaders. Some worry about the impact on Newark’s image, while others see it as a threat to families and communities who call the city home.
Impact on Legal and Human Rights Work
Lawyers, advocates, and local organizations will likely need to increase their efforts to monitor conditions, provide legal help, and support detainees. Since Delaney Hall will hold more people, the need for oversight and assistance grows too.
Why Has This Contract Raised So Much Opposition?
State Law and Legal Challenges
Back in 2021, New Jersey passed a law that was supposed to stop private companies from operating immigration detention centers in the state. GEO Group, along with another company called CoreCivic, fought this law in federal court.
In 2023, a judge decided to put the law on hold while lawsuits play out. This allowed GEO Group to move forward with the Delaney Hall Facility contract, even though many lawmakers and citizens still wanted to keep private detention centers out of New Jersey.
The legal fight is not over yet. Depending on future rulings, the Delaney Hall Facility could still face more challenges or even see its operations interrupted.
Local Leaders’ Strong Stance
Newark’s Mayor Ras Baraka has been one of the most vocal critics of the contract. On May 9, 2025, he tried to enter the Delaney Hall Facility with three members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation. All were arrested on trespassing charges. Mayor Baraka returned just days later, on May 13, but was denied entry again.
This ongoing tension between local leaders and both GEO Group and ICE shows how deeply the issue divides people in the region.
Federal Oversight
The United States 🇺🇸 Senate Judiciary Committee has also voiced concerns about the contract. On May 1, 2025, Ranking Member Senator Richard Durbin sent GEO Group a letter asking for details on its agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, focusing on how the company runs its centers and treats people held there.
These questions from Congress put added pressure on both GEO Group and the wider private detention industry to answer for their business practices and the effect they have on people’s lives.
History of Controversy in Immigration Detention
GEO Group’s operations have been controversial for some time. Across the country, the company has faced accusations of labor violations, poor health care, and mistreatment of detainees. Critics say that private companies like GEO Group have a profit motive that pushes them to cut costs, which may hurt the people being held.
Some key criticisms have included:
- Reports of staff shortages leading to unsafe conditions.
- Complaints about poor medical care for detainees.
- Lawsuits by immigrants claiming rights violations.
- Protests by advocacy groups calling for an end to private detention.
Despite these issues, GEO Group and ICE argue that private contracts can offer capacity and flexibility the government might not have on its own. However, the controversy continues, as this industry handles thousands of immigrants each year.
Why Is the Length and Size of This Contract Unusual?
Most ICE contracts with private companies are for much shorter time periods—usually just a few years at a time. A 15-year agreement is rare and ties the federal government to a single company for a long period. The size—$1 billion over the contract’s length—makes it stand out even more.
This long timeframe means that even if laws or political winds change, GEO Group will likely keep running the Delaney Hall Facility or be paid for the contract. Some see this as locking in a private company’s role in immigration enforcement for years to come. Others see it as a smart way to make sure there is enough detention capacity and to avoid the need for constant negotiations or disruptions.
ICE has explained that contracts like this help them plan for the future, especially as immigration policies and numbers of detainees change from year to year. GEO Group, of course, benefits by having a clear and steady source of income.
Broader Implications for Immigration Enforcement
This contract shows how much private companies are a part of immigration enforcement in the United States 🇺🇸. With so many facilities and so much government money involved, companies like GEO Group are powerful players in shaping immigration policy.
For supporters of tough immigration enforcement, more capacity and better facilities may be seen as a step forward. For critics, the relationship between profit and detention is a problem that needs to be addressed. They worry that private companies might not always be focused on what is best for immigrants or their families.
What Happens Next?
The future of the Delaney Hall Facility contract depends on several things:
- Legal Rulings: The pending lawsuit over New Jersey’s ban on private immigration facilities could still affect the agreement. If the courts eventually side with the state, GEO Group’s contract could be at risk.
- Oversight and Reporting: Federal authorities, especially through the Senate Judiciary Committee, are asking for more information and transparency. If problems are found, new rules or restrictions could result.
- Local Resistance: Continued opposition from Newark leaders, residents, and activists could keep pressure on both GEO Group and ICE to address concerns or make changes.
For now, though, GEO Group is moving forward. The company hopes to show that it can run the Delaney Hall Facility effectively and maintain its spot as ICE’s preferred partner.
Where Can I Learn More?
To see more about how ICE works with private detention facilities and what this might mean for detainees, you can visit the official ICE Detention Facility webpage.
VisaVerge.com’s investigation reveals that the Delaney Hall Facility contract is a landmark in the private detention industry, both for its length and its size. It also highlights the ongoing debate about whether private companies should play such a big part in the immigration system.
Summary
- GEO Group’s $1 billion, 15-year deal with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the Delaney Hall Facility is one of the largest and longest of its kind.
- The agreement gives GEO Group steady revenue while expanding its already large role in the United States 🇺🇸 immigration detention system.
- The contract is more than just business—it’s part of a larger national debate about private prisons, immigrant rights, and the balance between public and private roles in immigration enforcement.
- Legal, local, and federal opposition to the contract continues, and future lawsuits or investigations could impact how the agreement is carried out.
- This contract’s outcome will help determine the direction of immigration detention for years to come, not just in New Jersey but across the country.
The story of the Delaney Hall Facility contract is still unfolding. Anyone interested in immigration policy, human rights, or the role of business in government should watch closely as events continue to develop.
Learn Today
GEO Group → A private corporation specializing in prison and detention center management, often contracted by U.S. federal agencies for immigration enforcement.
ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) → A federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement, including detention, deportation, and processing of immigrants in the United States.
Detention Facility → A secure institution where individuals are held by authorities, here referring to immigrants detained while awaiting legal proceedings or deportation.
Cost of Living Adjustment → A contractual clause allowing payments to increase annually based on inflation and changes in living expenses during the contract.
Electronic Monitoring → Technology used to track the movement or location of individuals, such as immigrants under supervision or alternative detention programs.
This Article in a Nutshell
GEO Group’s $1 billion, 15-year deal for Delaney Hall marks a major shift in U.S. immigration detention. While the contract brings steady income and growing federal reliance, it triggers legal, ethical, and community concerns, highlighting the fierce ongoing debate over private companies’ role in the nation’s immigration system.
— By VisaVerge.com
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