Jim Jordan linked to dark money donation from ICE detention contractor
A report by Pogo Investigates reveals that a Super PAC tied to Congressman Jim Jordan received $250,000 in dark money from GEO Group, an ICE detention contractor, shortly after a law tripled ICE's budget. The donation raises legal questions about campaign finance violations.
Report Uncovers Ties
A report by the nonprofit newsroom Pogo Investigates has revealed close ties between influential Republican Congressman Jim Jordan and GEO Group, a company profiting from the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. The American Liberty Foundation, a Super PAC linked to Jordan, received $250,000 in 'dark money' from GEO Group last July, just 11 days after President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which tripled the federal budget for ICE and immigration enforcement to $170 billion.
Federal contractors like GEO Group are prohibited from making political contributions, but the company's PAC allegedly did not disclose the donation. The Campaign Legal Center has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, accusing GEO Group of violating campaign finance laws.
Conditions in Detention Centers
Critics argue that taxpayer money is fueling a 'deportation-industrial complex' benefiting GEO Group, which runs 52 ICE detention facilities across 16 states. Conditions at many centers have been criticized as poor. Detainees at Delaney Hall in New Jersey launched a hunger strike last month over living conditions and lack of medical care. The state of New Jersey has sued GEO Group for full access to inspect the facility. In Michigan, families of detainees reported verbal abuse and denied visitation.
Jordan's Political Landscape
Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump loyalist and chair of the House Judiciary Committee, represents over 810,000 residents in west-central Ohio. His district is heavily gerrymandered to favor rural conservatives. He faces challenges in the November election from both a Democrat and an Independent candidate.
GEO Group's Financial Growth
GEO Group's net income soared from $31.9 million in 2024 to $254.3 million in 2025, with 41% of its 2024 revenue coming from ICE. Despite $1.61 billion in debt by late 2025, the company reopened 6,000 detention beds in New Jersey, Michigan, and Georgia. It also secured a $60 million contract for skip tracing to locate and detain undocumented immigrants.
Jordan did not respond to requests for comment about the donation or potential conflicts of interest.
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