ICE Relaxes Detention Standards After Geo Group Pressure, June 17

Immigration and Customs Enforcement released revised detention standards on June 17 that remove wage protections for detained immigrants and allow contractors to use artificial intelligence for detainee communication. The changes came after Geo Group, which operates more than a dozen ICE facilities, requested modifications in private meetings. The revisions affect roughly 60,000 people currently held in ICE custody.

What Changed in ICE’s New Standards

ICE’s revised rules eliminate the requirement that detainees receive $1 per day for work. The new standards also remove language requiring contractors to follow state and local labor laws. The document now states that detainees are not employees and are not entitled to wages or benefits under applicable wage laws. ICE said the changes were made to “reduce the burden on detention operators” and streamline rules to match standards used by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Geo Group’s Direct Role in Policy

Geo Group asked ICE to remove multiple protections in private outreach. The company requested that contractors no longer be required to follow state and local laws around detainee treatment. Geo Group also asked ICE to amend language to support its legal position in wage cases. ICE complied with several of Geo Group’s requests, according to reporting on the policy revision.

Conditions Deteriorate as Funding Rises

ICE received more than $38 billion in new funding from Congress on June 10 under the Secure America Act, adding to a $75 billion allocation from the prior year. Despite record funding, complaints from detainees mount across facilities. Reports document spoiled food, aggressive guards, and healthcare out of reach at detention centers nationwide. At Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, a privately operated ICE facility, detainees launched a hunger and labor strike on May 22 to demand release and fair treatment.

Expert Warnings on Accountability

Michelle Brane, a former Department of Homeland Security ombudsman, said the changes will result in deterioration of detention conditions. She stated the revisions are consistent with a general practice to eliminate accountability and oversight. Dr. Sanjay Basu, a public health researcher studying ICE custody deaths, said the overall trajectory moves toward weaker standards governing a growing detained population, despite some improvements to suicide prevention protocols.

Final Thoughts

ICE’s removal of wage protections and labor law requirements after Geo Group pressure signals tighter contractor control over detention operations. With 60,000 people in custody and mounting complaints about conditions, the policy shift prioritizes operational flexibility over detainee welfare.

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