Thread by @CREWcrew

The private prison boom is absolutely a question of ethics.

Why? It’s got everything:
Political wins for donors. Trump profiteering. No transparency or accountability.

The 2020 budget, which Trump is signing tonight, is set to make a dangerous system even worse. Here’s why:

The track record of immigrant detention under President Trump speaks for itself:
400 allegations of sexual assault
800 instances of physical force used
29 fatalities
7 suicides
usatoday.com/in-depth/news/…

Yet even with rampant abuse, abysmal conditions, and an order from Congress to cut detentions, ICE has added 24 new centers and 17,000 new beds in the last 3 years. It hasn’t come cheap: taxpayers paid ~$7.6 million per day for immigrant detention last year.

2020’s budget provides ICE even more $ and transfer authority to ramp up contracts with private prison companies. ICE will receive $8 billion, nearly $500 million more than last year—funding for thousands of new beds.

It’s no mystery why private prison companies are thriving under Trump—he’s already received 25x the amount of political donations from these groups than Obama did in his entire presidency. And half a million dollars for his inauguration.
usatoday.com/in-depth/news/…

BONUS: because Trump never divested, private prisons can also line his pockets by spending at Trump businesses, like when GEO Group held its conference at Trump Doral, or when its VP stayed at Trump’s DC Hotel 10 times.
citizensforethics.org/trump-conflict…

Private prisons are much less safe than federal ones, according to the DOJ IG.

They might not even be a good deal for American taxpayers. But because private prisons aren’t subject to the FOIA, we can’t get data on cost or outcomes.
sojo.net/articles/push-…

It’s clear the immigrant detention system needs reform. The budget process would be a great place to start.

We hope Congress is paying attention.