A private Florida-based company, GEO Group, has obtained a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house immigrant detainees at its 1,800-bed North Lake Correctional Facility in northern Michigan. The facility had been closed since 2022 after President Biden’s administration halted the use of private prisons by the Department of Justice. GEO Group announced plans to reopen it as a federal immigration processing center, aiming for $70 million in annual revenue. The prison has been a major employer in the Baldwin area.

GEO Group expects to finalize a long-term contract with ICE within months, bringing in over $70 million in yearly revenue during the first full year of operation. However, when asked for details about the facility’s reopening timeline, GEO declined to provide specifics beyond its initial press release.

This is GEO’s third recent contract with ICE, following increased demand for immigration detention facilities. The company’s stock value has surged under Trump’s presidency as immigration enforcement intensified, and it is now valued at $4 billion.

Advocates, such as Eunice Cho of the ACLU’s National Prison Project, have raised concerns about the potential for inhumane treatment of immigrant inmates and the possibility of heightened immigration enforcement in local communities. They also expressed worries over the facility's history of abuse and neglect, including allegations of sexual abuse, hunger strikes, and poor conditions.

Despite these concerns, GEO Group maintains that its partnership with ICE is crucial to meeting the government’s growing need for detention space. CEO George Zoley expressed confidence that the North Lake facility will play a vital role in supporting expanded immigration enforcement priorities. However, critics argue that private prison companies prioritize profits over the well-being of detainees, leading to poor conditions and negative impacts on both the inmates and the surrounding communities.