Elvia first became a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin where she taught civil rights, employment and family law and writing seminars on gender, sexuality and the law. She is Professor Emerita of Law from Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, Illinois. At NIU she taught constitutional law, family law, gender, sexuality and the law, civil rights litigation and a research seminar that grew out of her work with women on the Mexican border — Women, Law and the Global Economy.
She recently published with Virginia Raymond, Ph.D., a criticism of the government’s reliance on for-profit corporations to operate immigration detention centers. See “Migrants Resist Systemic Discrimination and Dehumanization in For-Profit Detention Center.”
In her presentation, Elvia asked the question, “Why is ICE arresting and holding immigrants?” She brings to the table the fact that there is money to be made with the current system. The processing and detention centers being used are large, for-profit businesses run by private person corporations.
There are five of them in Texas. The GEO Group owns, manages, or leases approximately 49 detention facilities worldwide and operate under contracts with government agencies like the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), https://www.geogroup.com/locations The GEO Group was awarded approximately $1 billion in total federal funds across more than 500 transactions in fiscal year 2024, according to official U.S. government spending data.
Another large private contractor is CoreCivic. In 2025, CoreCivic expected to make $300 million in new ICE contracts under a Trump administration plan to incarcerate 100,000 immigrant detainees. The company's reported revenue in 2024 was $2 billion, with a net income of $68.9 million.
In addition to these businesses there are many other businesses that sell uniforms, shoes,mattresses,pillows & blankets, undergarments, etc…to these detention centers for the detainees and some fall into the category of crony capitalism.
Therefore many immigrants are still being arrested and detained and held for financial gain. ICE has begun arresting at night and when in the day, quietly to keep it out of the public eye. If we don’t see it we are less ap to protest.
Often those who do not have a criminal record are told that they just have to be processed and will be released but find out later that it will cost them to be released. They often pay up to $10,000 to be released.
Should we care?
Is our country better off because of this?
Is it worth the cost to taxpayers?
Is it legal?
Is it morally conscientious?
Is it beneficial to all concerned?
If anyone is interested I have Elvia’s PowerPoint presentation and am happy to share it. A personal question from Elvia: Is my retirement portfolio tainted by investment in private detention industries?
