# ICE Awards Contract to GEO Group in Winton

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has contracted The GEO Group to operate the Rivers Correctional Institution in Winton, North Carolina, as an ICE detention center. This facility is expected to have 1,320 beds and generate approximately $80 million in annual revenue. The contract, awarded on July 29, 2023, represents a significant private-sector partnership in federal detention services. Local community members and advocacy groups have expressed opposition to the reopening of the facility under GEO Group's management, citing concerns about detainee treatment and the social impact of private detention operations.

- **Why this matters:** This contract highlights ongoing federal reliance on private prison operators for immigration detention, presenting opportunities for companies specializing in correctional facility management and related services.
- Procurement professionals should note the scale and financial magnitude of this contract as indicative of potential future ICE detention facility procurements.
- Contractors should evaluate compliance and operational standards required by ICE for detention centers, considering community and political sensitivities that may affect contract execution.
- Organizations involved in detention facility services may find strategic value in understanding local stakeholder concerns and regulatory environments in North Carolina and similar jurisdictions.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Public Safety
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles
**Published:** September 24, 2026

### Government Entities
- United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

### Vendors
- The GEO Group (private prison operator)
- CoreCivic (private prison operator)

### Key Quotes
> Those of us opposing the reopening of Rivers are speaking out against The GEO Group profiting from the unnecessary and illegal suffering of thousands of immigrants.
> — Caroline Stephenson, Lifelong Hertford County resident

### Sources
- [Day of Action to protest ICE center in Winton |  | dailyadvance.com](https://www.dailyadvance.com/day-of-action-to-protest-ice-center-in-winton/article_83f203f1-923a-451e-9e8b-1f410ec6e3fd.html) - dailyadvance.com