(NEW YORK) — Executives at CoreCivic, one of the nation’s largest private prison companies, said they anticipate the Trump administration’s new immigration policies will lead to “the most significant growth” in the company’s history over the next several years.
“I’ve worked at CoreCivic for 32 years, and this is truly one of the most exciting periods of my career,” CEO Damon Hininger said Tuesday on the company’s earnings call. “We anticipate significant growth opportunities, perhaps the most significant growth in our company’s history over the next several years.”
“The change in presidential administration on Jan. 20 has ushered in significant policy and legislative changes that directly impact our business,” Hininger said on the public call, which comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased its apprehensions of people alleged to be in the country illegally.
Hininger told shareholders that the company is taking proactive steps to prepare facilities and beds in anticipation of potential new contracts with ICE.
CoreCivic executives on the call said they currently speak almost “hourly” with ICE officials and with members of the administration, and have “active tours going on” at their facilities.
“We’ve got a proposal in front of ICE for 28,000 beds,” one executive said, adding that the offer could result in more than a billion dollars in revenue for the company.
The 28,000 beds offered to ICE comes from vacant facilities that are not currently activated, as well as from availability in existing facilities and from the South Texas Family Residential Center, the nation’s largest migrant detention center that was closed in 2024, executives said.
ICE officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
In response to questions about the administration’s decision to use Guantanamo Bay and a prison in El Salvador to hold migrant detainees, executives for CoreCivic said they believe their facilities are “superior” to the alternatives when it comes to cost and logistics.
“We’ve got a real advantage on the cost side, especially in this environment. We’ve got DOGE out there looking at the best value for the government,” Hininger said, referencing Elon Musk’s new Department of Government Efficiency.
The CoreCivic CEO also said he believes the company’s facilities are less likely to face litigation, and said they are “more humane than the other alternatives.”
“We’re feeling very encouraged by the conversations with ICE to date,” Hininger said. “We’ve got a lot of activity going on in the organization, a lot of opportunities, so it’s a very exciting time within the company.”
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