Donald Trump's plan for the mass deportation of undocumented people and the expansion of capacity to detain migrants in the US is already receiving unexpected support from the Joe Biden administration, while private prison companies are making significant profits.
As an investigation by the British Guardian shows, the Biden administration has been extending contracts with private immigration prisons across the US for a year and is exploring options for expanding detention capacity. This is despite Biden's previous statements against private prisons and the fact that many of these facilities are notorious for the inhumane conditions in which they are held.
In the final year of Biden's term, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is working to extend at least 14 contracts with private prison companies, despite significant opposition from Democrats and activists.
All of those facilities are under intense investigation for allegations of poor and dangerous detention conditions, and the White House has ignored protests from congressional Democrats and organizations.
"The Joe Biden administration has increased the number of people in detention, doubled down on Trump-era immigration deterrence policies and expanded detention facilities, in direct conflict with promises to close private prisons and bring fairness to the immigration system," she said. Silki Shah, director of the Detention Watch Network.
As the Biden administration negotiates expanding the number of prison beds, private companies such as CoreCivic and GEO Group are expressing enthusiasm for the revenue opportunities.
Contracts for private prisons are determined by the number of "beds". According to the documents, ICE plans to expand capacity to at least 4.850 new places in cities such as Phoenix, El Paso, Seattle and San Francisco. Currently, nearly 39.000 people are in federal immigration detention.
CEOs of private prison companies believe that Donald Trump's return to power will bring further expansion of their business, as millions of people will be detained before deportation during legal and logistical procedures.
Human rights organizations and senators like Cory Booker warn of the poor conditions in these facilities: physical violence, inadequate food and water, neglect of medical care, unsanitary conditions and avoidable deaths.
"Instead of closing these centers, the Biden administration continues to expand capacity, a step backwards for immigrant rights," Esmeralda Santos, an organizer with the Coalition for Immigrant Justice, told the Guardian.
Although during the 2020 campaign, Biden promised changes and an end to private detention centers, his current actions show a departure from those promises, especially ahead of the 2024 election, where immigration will be a central issue.
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