The GEO Group, Inc.
GEO
Real Estate
3
exclusion reasons
2 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
The GEO Group operates private prisons and immigration detention centers under government contracts, including facilities in active conflict zones. In 2022, GEO held a contract to provide "Air Operations Support Services" for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which includes the transportation of migrants and detainees. This operational support for enforcement activities extends to regions of conflict and instability that are sources of migration.
The company's role in detention and transport forms part of the infrastructure for immigration enforcement systems that operate in and around conflict zones. There is no public evidence that GEO's services in these contexts are structured as essential civilian aid; rather, they function as a for-profit extension of government enforcement activities. Under the ethical investment criteria, providing detention and transport services under these conditions does not meet the affirmative defense of providing an essential service to a civilian population that would be materially worse off without it.
The GEO Group, Inc. has been identified by the United Nations Human Rights Council as a business enterprise involved in activities related to Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. According to the UNHRC database update (A/HRC/60/19, 2025), GEO's activities are considered to have negative human rights impacts on the rights of Palestinians. The company's inclusion on this list stems from its provision of security services and involvement in infrastructure supporting the occupation. A 2019 engagement report from AFSC Investigate specifically noted GEO's involvement in the construction of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine. Operating in or providing services to settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, constitutes material support to activities in occupied territories.
Worth Rises Prison Industry Database / AFSC Investigate - GEO Group Inc; Private prison and immigration detention operator; 100+ facilities; earned $541M from ICE contracts in 2017 (24% of revenue, +105% 3-year growth); subsidiary BI Inc. provides electronic monitoring of immigrants; CEO cited "unprecedented opportunity" from 2025 immigration enforcement surge; Conflict & War Zones; Divestment Shortlist.
Research Sources
9 organizations
Related Exclusions
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Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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