YouTube video by Bloomberg Originals How Trump’s Deportation Campaign Is Reshaping Small Town America

Our short documentary, produced by Kayla Shea, about the rise of America's ICE towns is out on YouTube today: youtube.com/watch?v=0pV9...

It tells two stories -- the story of a man detained by ICE and the story of the community that says they financially depend on detaining him.

Distant ICE Detention Centers Bring Money—and Anger—to an Alaska Native Community Nana Regional Corp. is supposed to uphold Iñupiat values. Some shareholders say its role in Trump’s deportation machinery makes a mockery of that.

NEW: An Alaska Native corp has become an ICE detention giant, managing or doing security for a half dozen facilities.

But back in Alaska, Iñupiaq shareholders are raising alarm over the work being done in their name.

w/ @pollymosendz.bsky.social Mike Smith @kotznews.bsky.social

bit.ly/4772GVu

Trump’s Border Czar Involved in Detention Contract Talks Despite Recusal Ethics experts say Tom Homan’s participation could violate rules meant to ensure impartiality. The White House says he has not crossed that line.

Tom Homan said he was recused from anything to do with government contracts.

Turns out he wasn't. He played a role in the process to move immigration detention contracts through the Defense Department

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

With @racheladhe.bsky.social and @sooophie.bsky.social

As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space The Trump administration has tapped 41 vendors to compete for lucrative federal contracts.

ICE has tapped 41 companies to compete for some of the $45 billion earmarked for a massive expansion of immigration detention space, including at least 9 that offer tent facilities w/ @sooophie.bsky.social and @folaak.bsky.social

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

ICE Moves to DNA-Test Families Targeted for Deportation with New Contract Advocates worry the tests will pave the way for the Trump administration to separate children from their caregivers.

NEW w/ @folaak.bsky.social: ICE is moving to DNA-test families being targeted for deportation with a new contract worth up to $25 million

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Behind the Scenes: Bloomberg examines a private detention center and a town 'Addicted to ICE' - Nieman Storyboard Rachel Adams-Heard, Polly Mosendz, and Fola Akinnibi looked at local government agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants in New Mexico

"We started with the day he was taken into ICE custody and he just explained in detail what he saw, heard, smelled, felt at each stage in his detention."

— @racheladhe.bsky.social on reporting the @bloomberglp.bsky.social story, "Addicted to ICE."

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/05/30/b...

#longreads

Behind the Scenes: Bloomberg examines a private detention center and a town 'Addicted to ICE' - Nieman Storyboard Rachel Adams-Heard, Polly Mosendz, and Fola Akinnibi looked at local government agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain immigrants in New Mexico

"We wanted to show how there are people very far from Washington, D.C., who are making decisions that have a dramatic impact on how the White House's immigration policy is carried out on the ground." @racheladhe.bsky.social

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/05/30/b...

Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Hinges on Small Towns Hooked on Private Prisons Like a growing number of US communities, Torrance County, New Mexico, is convinced its financial survival depends on locking people up.

ADDICTED TO ICE: A growing number of communities are convinced their economies depend on ICE contracts that keep private jails open for immigration detention -- no matter what happens inside

w/ @pollymosendz.bsky.social @folaak.bsky.social @elenamejia.bsky.social & many others

bloom.bg/4j28jqp

This is a great story, the kind of great story you can do through using the data released by The Deportation Data Project: deportationdata.org

Every data reporter covering immigration should get familiar with the data here

NEW: @bloomberg.com analysis of +13 years of ICE detentions shows immigrants transferred to the South and SW from interior US at unprecedented rates. Reducing the odds of winning their cases. w/ @elenamejia.bsky.social @racheladhe.bsky.social
@pollymosendz.bsky.social
bloom.bg/43am95w

First post on BlueSky to share this survey for people who have experience with immigration contractors in the US!

We're talking companies that build tents, operate deportation flights, provide security, etc. We want to hear from you:

bmedia.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...