The US Department of Homeland Security bought three facilities in the Adelanto complex from GEO Group for $950 million; the company will continue operating them under its ICE contract.
The purchase of three centres in Adelanto, California, closed on October 5. GEO Group and reports by the Los Angeles Times and Commercial Observer say the complex includes Adelanto West, with 1,280 beds; Adelanto East, with 660; and Desert View Annex, with 704 — a combined capacity of 2,644. The federal department will own the facilities, while GEO Group will continue operating them.
The company expects to receive about $705 million after taxes, fees and other transaction costs. It will continue providing services under its existing contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which runs through December 19, 2034.
The purchase comes amid a dispute between the federal government and California over oversight of immigration detention centres. The Los Angeles Times reports that the state is introducing new requirements for oversight, conditions, access to records and safety. The newspaper describes the federal purchase as an expansion of DHS ownership while private contractors remain operators.
The Adelanto complex has faced a class-action lawsuit alleging problems with drinking water, food, sanitation and medical care; a federal judge ordered improvements. The Los Angeles Times, citing DHS records, reports four deaths at the facility since 2025. It also cites an ICE mortality review in the case of Ismael Ayala-Uribe, who died in federal custody, which found repeated medical failures and departures from safe practices.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the federal government has spent about $3.2 billion in 2026 buying privately owned detention centres. The expansion followed Congress’s 2025 allocation of $45 billion for immigration detention infrastructure and operations under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.