there are fresh signs the Trump administration is planning to ramp up deportations to a scale never before seen in the US after issuing a request for proposals online asking contractors to submit plans for new immigration detention facilities along with proposals for transportation security guards medical support and other services worth as much as $45 billion over the next two years That's according to the New York Times The move is raising more questions about the future of the Union County Jail which we previously reported is up for grabs to private buyers With the potential it'll be converted into New Jerseyy's latest ICE facility Senior political correspondent David Cruz reports It's probably not a big surprise to many of you that private prison companies mainly Geo Group and Core Civic who contributed more than a million dollars to Donald Trump's presidential campaign are champing at the bit at their prospects for big profits in 2025 Here's Tennessee based Core Civic's CEO Damon Hinninger speaking on the company's fourth quarter earnings report conference call in February discussing the change of administration in Washington and a flurry of executive orders and legislation The change in presidential administration on January 20th has ushered in significant policy and legislative changes that directly impact our business We believe Core Civic is exceptionally well positioned operationally and financially to meet what we expect to be a sharp acceleration demand from our partners particularly our key federal partners Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE and the United States Marshall Service ICE has estimated that this act could require 60,000 to 110,000 additional detention beds And now the money for this rapid expansion is about to flow as the administration has set aside $45 billion dollar for new detention facilities and related services across the country First up to take advantage of the funding is Florida based GEO Group which has signed on to reopen Delaney Hall in Newark as a 1,000 bed detention center New York Mayor Rasparaka told a rally outside the facility recently that he'll stop the group from opening They have been very brazen and very arrogant about telling people that they're opening up given them dates that they're going to open up Sent us a letter and said "Hey we're opening up Uh have not taken out one permit have not gotten one inspection have not gone to the planning board uh to get a change of use."

Have not done anything Uh they believe that they're going to open up and we're saying you're not going to open up here in the city of New York Meanwhile a new front has opened in the battle Union County voted last month to seek requests for proposals that would lead to the eventual sale of the 600 bed former Union County Jail in Elizabeth But advocates are skeptical that cashstrapped governing bodies like Union County won't care too much about what happens at the facility once it's sold And that's why we're here to to make sure and urge our local um leaders to step up to actually have a commitment that they won't allow this to happen Not even here in in Union County not even in New York not within our state But Union County Manager Edward Oman said at the county commissioner's meeting that this wasn't about opening a new immigration detention facility in Elizabeth against which activists have demonstrated for years We are committed to ensuring that any future use of the property reflects the values and needs of our community To that end the RFP will include clear limitations on how the property can be used Specifically if any proposals are received from operators interested in continuing to use it as a correctional facility we will consistent with the state law restrict any use to housing only individuals involved in the criminal justice system such as those facing criminal charges Other types of use will not be permitted under the terms we set It should be noted that the Trump administration considers that anyone in the country without documentation is a criminal The core civic CEO meanwhile remains bullish on Elizabeth where it already operates the detention center We continue to believe that the Elizabeth detention facility responds well to ISIS's needs in that market where bed space is scarce As detentions at the border Wayne ICE actions inside the country are ramping up creating a huge demand for beds and private companies are eager to meet it with supply I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight News [Music]