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.
Western Union provides money transfer services to and from immigration detention centers operated by private prison companies. The company has been a service provider for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention system, facilitating financial transactions for individuals held in facilities run by companies like CoreCivic and GEO Group. This business activity directly supports the infrastructure of for-profit immigration detention.
In 2021, Western Union was specifically cited by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) for its role in enabling transfers into the detention system. While the company's broader human rights record includes serious allegations related to its operations in Myanmar, its provision of services to the private prison industry constitutes a separate and direct link to the for-profit incarceration model.
Research Sources
1 organization
Related Exclusions
Wondering what we do invest in?
The Naughty List
A digest of changes to our exclusion list — new additions, removals, and the evidence behind them. We review the list continuously as new evidence surfaces.
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.
Ethical Capital LLC is a state-registered investment adviser in Utah (CRD #316032). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.