YOUNGSTOWN The company that operates a detention facility in Youngstown and another private prison company are reporting significant profits, driven by what they describe as "unprecedented growth opportunities" stemming from a rise in people detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Both CoreCivic and The GEO Group released financial results this week showing increased revenue and profits, with company executives directly linking their performance to heightened demand from federal immigration authorities.

CoreCivic, which operates 70 facilities including the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center on Youngstown’s Eastside, reported its second-quarter net income more than doubled to $38.5 million, a 103% increase from the same period last year.

CEO Damon T. Hininger noted in the company's release that the "increasing demand ... particularly from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)" contributed to the strong results. He added that the nationwide detention population under ICE custody has reached an "all-time high." CoreCivic's revenue from ICE, its largest government partner, grew 17.2% to $176.9 million in the quarter.

The company is capitalizing on this demand by reactivating three previously idled facilities and acquiring another, the Farmville Detention Center in Virginia, for $67 million. The company is also increasing its financial guidance for the full year, citing "substantial increase in government funding" and new legislation.

Meanwhile, The GEO Group, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, also pointed to immigration detention as a key driver of its recent performance. The company reported a net income of $29.1 million for the second quarter, a sharp turnaround from a net loss of $32.5 million a year ago.

In their earnings report, GEO Group executives highlighted a series of recent contract wins and facility activations with ICE.

The GEO Group's Executive Chairman, George C. Zoley, said the company is focused on "unprecedented growth opportunities" and that its board has authorized a $300 million share repurchase program to "enhance long-term shareholder value." The company also raised its financial guidance for the full year.

Both companies' reports underscore how government policy and funding related to immigration enforcement directly translate into significant financial gains for private contractors in the detention industry.

The Mahoning County Jail is also profiting from the increased demand for detention space. In April, the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office agreed to a contract with the Department of Homeland Security to house ICE detainees.

Under the agreement, the county receives $125 per ICE inmate per day. Sheriff Jerry Greene said the money would supplement the county's criminal justice sales tax and create a "rainy day fund."

According to Greene, the inmates, who come from across the country, are held for 45 to 60 days before being deported.