March 23, 2023

WASHINGTON – Day 1 Alliance (D1A), the trade association representing private-sector criminal justice and immigration system contractors, authored a Letter to the Editor published today in The Bakersfield Californian pushing back on misconceptions contained in an op-ed published earlier in March:

Letter to the editor: Understand contractors’ role in immigration system

The March 5 op-ed “President Biden: Shut the American gulag, issue a presidential pardon, uphold universal asylum rights,” is not only a hyperbolic attempt to liken longtime U.S. policy under both Democratic and Republican administrations to horrific Soviet atrocities, but reveals a basic misunderstanding of contractors’ role in the U.S. immigration system.

Because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not have its own facilities, the federal government has for decades relied nearly exclusively on contractors to house and process migrants navigating the immigration court system. Contractors are held to strict federal standards, which were updated and strengthened under President Obama. Everything from health care services and access to attorneys and immigrant rights advocates are provided. Without this critical infrastructure, migrants would likely be housed in overcrowded local jails alongside potentially dangerous people.

There would be serious negative consequences for migrants’ living conditions if this system — and the contractors that support it — were not in place. They deserve respectful and dignified care, not political slogans and misinformation.

Alexandra Wilkes, national spokeswoman, Day 1 Alliance

About the Day 1 Alliance:

The Day 1 Alliance (D1A) is a trade association representing private sector contractors helping government agencies address corrections and detention challenges in the United States. For more than 35 years, D1A members have worked with local, state, and federal governments led by members of both political parties to provide professional, humane, and respectful treatment to incarcerated and detained individuals. From day one, we understand we have a responsibility to provide safe and dignified care to those in our facilities. D1A members do not lobby for or against policies, regulations, or legislation that impact the basis for or duration of an individual’s incarceration or detention.

The members of the Day 1 Alliance are CoreCivic, The GEO Group, Management & Training Corporation, and LaSalle Corrections.

Learn more at day1alliance.org and follow us on Twitter @TheDay1Alliance.

Media inquiries:
contact@day1alliance.org