Private company contracts with ICE to open immigration processing center in Michigan
A private company has contracted with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to open a federal immigration processing center in Michigan.
The site is the North Lake Correctional Facility in the Lake County community of Baldwin, owned by The GEO Group.
The facility closed in 2022 when the federal government canceled contracts with for-profit prisons. In the meantime, some federal officials pursued the idea of converting the 1,800-bed facility to an ICE detention center.
"We expect that our company-owned North Lake Facility in Michigan will play an important role in helping meet the need for increased federal immigration processing center bedspace," George C. Zoley, Executive Chairman of GEO, said in Thursday's announcement. "We are proud of our 40-year public-private partnership with ICE, and we stand ready to continue to help the federal government meet its expanded immigration enforcement priorities."
Within a few months, GEO and ICE will finalize a long-term contract, "that would be expected to generate in excess of $70 million in annualized revenues in the first full year of operations."
GEO said it would provide ICE with exclusive use of the facility, along with security, maintenance and food services, access to recreation and medical care.
GEO currently operates 99 facilities in the U.S. and other countries, with a range of secure facilities, processing centers and community reentry services.
