Overview
- The Department of Homeland Security completed the $950 million purchase of three Adelanto facilities on Monday, October 5, 2026, acquiring Adelanto West (1,280 beds), Adelanto East (660 beds) and Desert View Annex (704 beds) for a total of 2,644 beds.
- GEO Group will remain the day-to-day operator under its existing contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, though reporting differs on the contract length with one account saying the agreement runs to December 2029 with a five-year option and another saying it is effective through December 19, 2034.
- GEO expects roughly $705 million in net proceeds after taxes and fees and plans to use the money to cut debt and expand a share buyback program, having simultaneously increased its buyback authorization to $1.25 billion through 2029.
- The sale continues a larger push by DHS and ICE to buy detention real estate — bringing federal spending on facility purchases to about $3.2 billion concentrated largely in California — a shift that keeps private operators on site while transferring building ownership to the government.
- The transactions were enabled by a large federal detention funding infusion last year and raise practical questions about accountability, costs and capacity planning because ownership has changed but operational oversight remains with contractors.