Who profits, who’s caught in the middle

August 24, 2026

We're continuing to report on immigration detention in partnership with the Project on Government Oversight. We’ve collaborated in research, reporting, and analysis of public records with POGO’s  investigative team since mid-2025 to produce this body of work.

Our latest stories dig into companies vying for top-dollar government contracts, and examine the ICE detention oversight system, in which facilities get glowing grades following inspections, even amid deadly conditions. 

Both investigative pieces illustrate the power of data and show how migrants are caught in the middle. 

The series highlights many issues — including the awarding of contracts, the use of self-deportation, the concerns over lack of medical care in detention facilities — that follow the Trump administration’s emphasis on detention and removal of immigrants.

We started co-publishing last fall with POGO, when we took a look at Greg Bovino, who, until recently, was a high-ranking Border Patrol official whose agents were accused of excessive violence against migrants, protesters, journalists and others in operations in Chicago and Los Angeles. We’ve also written about how texts and records reveal how Border Patrol agents in southern Arizona privately talk about use of force and accountability — and how to avoid discipline.

And we’ve written about the top companies profiting from the immigration crackdown since Trump’s return to office.

If you’re new to our coverage, you may not know that we’ve been looking into immigration deaths, detention, and public policy since we started publishing in 2009, when Democrat Barack Obama was in office. One of our earliest documentaries in association with FRONTLINE was called “Lost in Detention.” This important issue transcends political parties; we strive to hold those in power accountable for the impact of immigration policy, regardless of who's in the White House.

— Lynne Perri