GardaWorld Secures New ICE Contracts Worth Up to US$1.3 Billion Amid Alligator Alcatraz Controversy

A Montreal based security company has secured two new contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to support detention and transportation operations in Texas, expanding its involvement with the U.S. immigration enforcement system despite continuing controversy surrounding its previous work at a Florida detention facility.

The contracts were awarded in late August to the American division of GardaWorld Security. Combined, they have a minimum value of nearly US$118 million, equivalent to about C$165 million, while their potential value could exceed US$1.3 billion, or approximately C$1.9 billion.

One of the contracts involves converting a warehouse in San Antonio into a detention facility and then operating the centre. The agreement has a minimum value of roughly US$17.3 million, while its maximum potential value exceeds US$1 billion.

The second agreement covers armed ground transportation for people detained by ICE across Texas. It began on September 1, 2026, and is scheduled to run until August 31, 2027, with the possibility of being extended for an additional three years.

However, the transportation contract has already faced a legal challenge. An American security contractor formally disputed ICE’s decision to award the agreement to GardaWorld on September 10, only days after the contract was announced. ICE subsequently suspended the contract while the challenge is considered.

GardaWorld is headquartered in Montreal and operates internationally through a number of subsidiaries. The company received a $300 million investment from the Quebec government in 2022 as part of an initiative supporting its international expansion.

The company’s growing role in U.S. immigration enforcement has attracted renewed attention because of its previous involvement with the Florida detention centre widely known as Alligator Alcatraz.

GardaWorld had provided services connected to the facility, which was established in the Florida Everglades as part of the U.S. government’s immigration detention expansion. The facility closed during the summer following months of protests, lawsuits and allegations concerning the treatment and living conditions of detainees.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general raised additional concerns about conditions at the facility. The report said some detainees were kept for as long as two hours inside small metal enclosures described as calming areas. Investigators concluded that the practice did not meet standards for humane treatment.

The report also raised concerns involving access to clean drinking water and legal representation.

The Department of Homeland Security rejected allegations that detainees were subjected to inhumane conditions. A department spokesperson said the operations identified as non compliant in the inspector general’s report were not carried out by GardaWorld Federal.

The controversy has nevertheless prompted questions from U.S. lawmakers and Canadian advocacy groups about GardaWorld’s continued involvement in immigration detention.

Democratic U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro, whose congressional district includes part of San Antonio, expressed concern after learning that the federal government had awarded another contract to GardaWorld despite the controversy surrounding the Florida facility.

Canadian advocacy organization Above Ground has also criticized the company’s expanding work with U.S. immigration authorities.

Karen Hamilton, the organization’s director, said the new contracts were concerning in light of what she described as significant human rights risks connected to immigration detention. She argued that companies operating in such environments have a responsibility to conduct appropriate due diligence and establish safeguards to prevent abuses.

Hamilton also questioned whether the Canadian government has sufficient mechanisms to oversee the overseas activities of Canadian companies.

She pointed to GardaWorld’s Quebec roots and the financial support the company received from the provincial government, arguing that the expansion of its American operations raises questions about how Canadian investment relates to the activities of companies abroad.

According to Hamilton, the fact that the new contracts were awarded to GardaWorld’s American subsidiary does not eliminate concerns about the Montreal based parent company. She argued that profits generated by subsidiaries ultimately benefit the wider corporate organization and that senior leadership therefore has a responsibility for the conduct of those operations.

The Quebec government’s economy ministry declined to comment specifically on GardaWorld’s ICE contracts.

A ministry spokesperson said GardaWorld continues to meet the commitments associated with the province’s investment, which was made before the company became involved with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

GardaWorld and ICE declined to provide comments on the latest contracts. GardaWorld also did not provide further comments regarding allegations connected to the Alligator Alcatraz facility.

The new agreements represent another significant expansion of GardaWorld’s work with U.S. immigration authorities at a time when detention policies and the treatment of migrants remain subjects of intense political and legal debate in the United States.

For GardaWorld, the contracts also underscore the financial scale of the U.S. immigration enforcement market. With the potential value of the two agreements reaching more than US$1.3 billion, the company’s American operations could play an increasingly important role in the expansion of detention and transportation infrastructure.

At the same time, the suspended transportation contract and continuing scrutiny over the Florida facility show that GardaWorld’s involvement in U.S. immigration enforcement is likely to remain under close examination by lawmakers, advocacy organizations and government oversight bodies.

Courtesy: globalnews