Anonymous Redditor Creates Map Visualizing ICE Contracting
Our Q&A with the mapmaker revealing a web of companies tied to immigration enforcement, sparking debate over transparency and taxpayer funds.
NEW YORK CITY — An anonymous Reddit user has developed an interactive map titled "Who Profits From ICE?" to highlight companies and entities involved in contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The map, accessible via Google Maps, pinpoints locations across the United States where ICE-related contracts are active, offering a visual representation of the network of businesses profiting from immigration enforcement.
The map includes data on private detention centers, technology providers, and other firms linked to ICE operations, drawing attention to the scale of the agency’s outsourcing. The creator, who has not disclosed their identity, stated on Reddit that the project aims to increase transparency and spark discussion about the economic incentives behind immigration enforcement.
The map has gained traction online, with users praising its accessibility while some critics question the accuracy of the data, which the creator claims is sourced from public records and government contracts. The project remains a work in progress, with the anonymous developer encouraging community feedback to refine the map. Q&A with the map maker below.
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Q&A: The Anonymous Mapmaker
Who is the map for?
It’s for anyone who wants to better understand where our taxpayer dollars that fund ICE actually end up going. A huge portion of ICE’s budget goes to outside companies that do everything from operating detention centers to providing surveillance software. These companies are already taking in billions of dollars by working with ICE, and now we’re seeing a push to dramatically increase the agency’s funding. We all deserve to know who is set to profit from that kind of seismic change.
How'd you build it? I see you used public data, but did you have to pin every item or did you run a script (so readers might discern how to build their own)?
Building the map was actually much easier than people might expect! USAspending.gov is a government transparency tool that allows anyone to look at federal spending, from the agency level all the way down to individual contract summaries. You can also run a custom search to pull and download specific data. In this case, I was looking for all the contracts awarded by ICE for the current fiscal year. Once I had that information in a spreadsheet, I just had to clean up the data to eliminate irrelevant information, and then it was ready to upload into Google My Maps.
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How long did it take to compile?
As I dug into the information over the course of a couple of weeks, it became clear to me that this was worth sharing. Once I decided that a map would be a great way to help people visualize the extent of the network of companies helping ICE, it only took me an hour or so to put together.
What's the most interesting/surprising thing(s) you've learned so far from the map?
Looking through the information on hundreds of contracts, what surprised me most was the extent of ICE’s surveillance infrastructure: drones, yes, but also facial recognition, digital forensics, license plate tracking, data from the computers in our cars, and more. It’s something I imagine most people would find shocking, especially as we grapple with the reality that the people who have all this information about us are not necessarily committed to protecting the civil liberties that the Constitution guarantees.
How do you hope the public interacts with the map?
I’'m hoping it will serve as a starting point for further research and discussions about the companies making tremendous amounts of money as ICE contractors. We can use this kind of information within our own communities as we consider how to peacefully and strategically take a stand against the way ICE is helping the administration undermine our foundational values of free speech and due process.
I see you commented about flagging noteworthy things to you for adding to the map, can you offer an example of a noteworthy flag?
Some of the companies provided services or products incidentally, and there are a few that actually serve an important oversight function for ICE programs or provide direct services to crime victims and people in detention. These kinds of things are worth noting, and I expect to keep updating the map to make it a more useful tool.
Are there any more asks / calls to action for people using the map?
If you spend some time looking at the map or USAspending.gov, it will become clear how eye-watering the Republicans’ proposed ICE budget really is. Take a look at this information and reach out to let your representatives know what you think about it.
Are there any other immigration-related projects you're working on?
ICE’s largest contractor, The GEO Group, is planning a massive expansion in the capacity of its detention centers. With a long history of allegations from forced labor to unsafe working conditions, this is a company that really shouldn’t be receiving taxpayer funding. Many prominent banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America have pledged to stop working with them, so securing financing has been a challenge; the lenders who do still work with them don’t exactly issue press releases touting their involvement.
Fortunately the SEC requires some public disclosure of credit agreements, which is how we know that Citizens Bank still provides GEO with financing. I’ve been working on getting out the word about this relationship, and I’m getting messages from Citizens’ customers that they’re switching banks. Most people don’t want their money going to companies that profit from the kinds of things ICE and GEO are doing, but it can be a lot of work to understand those relationships. I’m trying to make that a little easier for busy people to do.