ICE Contractors Reap Huge Profits From Unprecedented Funding Surge
The Project on Government Oversight followed the money to a handful of well-heeled political donors given huge federal contracts in opaque service to America's most hated government agency.
WASHINGTON — In the first year of President Trump’s second term, ICE contract spending surged by 69%, with nearly 70% of the total $5.4 billion budget concentrated among just 10 companies. Many of these top earners are major political donors or have lobbied for legislation that tripled ICE’s budget, per ace new reporting yesterday by POGO Investigates.
Skyrocketing Revenues and “Shoulder Rubbing”
Total ICE spending on contracts reached approximately $5.4 billion between January 2025 and January 2026. Experts and critics suggest this growth is fueled by “good-old shoulder rubbing” and a rush to execute the administration’s immigration agenda through no-bid contracts and modifications.
Top 5 ICE Contractors (Year 1, Trump 2.0)
The Connection to Political Influence
Several top-tier contractors have deep financial ties to the administration:
CSI Aviation (Rank 1): CEO Allen Weh and his family donated $460,000 to the 2024 campaign; the company also hosted a Trump rally.
Palantir Technologies (Rank 10): Revenue jumped 297% to $81.1 million. CEO Alex Karp and advisor Jacob Helberg (now a Trump official) contributed nearly $3.9 million to Trump-aligned PACs and the inauguration.
GEO Group & CoreCivic: Both companies donated $500,000 each to the inauguration committee and lobbied for the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which tripled ICE’s budget.
Rising Controversy and Human Costs
The rapid expansion of detention and removal operations has been accompanied by reports of legal and safety lapses:
Record Deaths: In 2025, 32 people died in ICE custody—the highest number since 2004.
Alleged Misconduct: CSI Aviation was linked to a 2025 incident where a subcontractor flew detainees to El Salvador in potential violation of a court order.
Healthcare Concerns: Critics argue that the for-profit model incentivizes companies to cut costs on essentials like healthcare to boost margins.
Wanna Help Dig Into the List? Here’s How.
If you’ve made it this far, I know you are paying close attention to what is arguably our most vital tool for government accountability: following the money through federal receipts—in this case, billions of dollars.
Holding bad actors among ICE vendors accountable won’t happen overnight. However, now that POGO has gotten the ball rolling, we can begin digging immediately.
To help uncover the full story of ICE contracting during the second Trump term, please visit POGO’s original reporting. Scroll to the bottom to find their comprehensive list of the top 100 ICE contractors.
What do you know about these companies or the specific work they perform for ICE? If you have information to share, please let us know in the comments, reach out via Signal, or email us at tips@migrantinsider.com. Happy hunting!
