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“Revolving Door”: Former GEO Group VP David Venturella Is New Interim ICE Chief

2026-06-01 News & Politics
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Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-desc-yt President Donald Trump has tapped David Venturella, a former ICE official and executive at the private prison company GEO Group, to replace Todd Lyons as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. GEO Group saw its profits jump from $32 million in 2024 to more than $254 million in 2025 as the Trump administration expanded government contracts with ICE jails nationwide. Setareh Ghandehari, advocacy director at Detention Watch Network, says private prison companies have an “intricate” relationship with ICE. “It’s really a revolving door,” she says, pointing out that Venturella worked for ICE under Presidents Bush and Obama, then went to GEO Group before this latest appointment by President Trump. “It’s really hard to see where the interests of ICE end and those of private prison companies begin,” says Ghandehari. Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe

Top Comments (10)

@MOEMMOH 2026-06-01

This is absolutely fucking crazy.

18 18 replies
@thorodinson3774 2026-06-01

It’s so unacceptable that for profit companies can run prisons in this country. It only incentivizes these companies to institutionalized people increasing recidivism to pad tier profits. And yet there’s no real penalties on those companies when they violate the rights of the people in their care. They treat the people in their care like cash cows. Milking money from the government, inmates families and inmates labor. All while, making them endure deplorable conditions and inhumane treatment.

13 4 replies
@elizabethholliday8636 2026-06-01

CORRUPTION ON STEROIDS

18 7 replies
@manuelmoraleda9684 2026-06-01

There's that inherent inclination to make more arrest and fill up profit generating private prisons. Someone has to monitor the cash flow.

17 3 replies
@melissa1429-m3w 2026-06-01

Pure cruelty and corruption. Abolish and prosecute ICE and CBP.

17 3 replies
@rosasanmartin2215 2026-06-01

This administration Conflict of interests is HORRIBLE !!!!! = Most Corruption ever !!!

16 3 replies
@parrisatkins8776 2026-06-02

The level of corruption is outrageous, even by US standards.

6
@JacquelynKimzey 2026-06-01

You have to be a special kind of evil to setup a biz to profit from human rights violations.

19 4 replies
@elizabethholliday8636 2026-06-01

Why are innocent people in DETENTION centers?? Crazy entirely!

9 2 replies
@docholiday8029 2026-06-01

Dissolve ICE Not needed or wanted. Renee Goode & Alex Pretti ❤️

19 19 replies

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