GEO Group CEO Criticizes Lawsuits Over Immigration Detention Conditions Amid Reports of Inhumane Treatment

Thu, 07 May 2026 02:34:00 +0200

GEO Group CEO George Zoley sparked controversy during a quarterly earnings call by calling ongoing lawsuits over conditions in immigration detention facilities 'fundamentally unconstitutional.' GEO Group operates 23 detention centers, holding roughly 21,000 detainees, about a third of all ICE detainees. The lawsuits claim that detainees face inhumane treatment, including lack of medical care, inadequate food and water, unsanitary conditions, and forced labor for minimal or no pay. One notable case in Aurora, Colorado alleges that detainees had to clean facilities under threat of solitary confinement. Detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center have also reported medical neglect and poor living conditions. Critics, including the ACLU, argue that the real constitutional violations stem from ICE and private prison operators, not the lawsuits themselves. Zoley suggested that federal ownership of detention facilities could resolve oversight conflicts between states and private contracto