Trump taps David Venturella, former private prison executive, to lead ICE

Venturella will helm the immigration enforcement agency after previously serving in an executive role at GEO Group.The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced that David Venturella, a former executive at the private prison company GEO Group, will become the new acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the agency, said on Tuesday that Venturella would replace Todd Lyons, who is leaving the government on May 31.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Rights groups, Milwaukee leaders slam ICE’s arrest of Palestinian advocatelist 2 of 3Miami host committee assured ICE will not be at World Cup gameslist 3 of 3US reinstates deportation proceedings against Palestinian student Mahdawiend of list“Dave Venturella will serve as acting ICE director following Todd Lyons’ departure,” DHS said in a statement.ICE has played a key role in the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, part of a hardline approach to immigration that has restricted both legal and illegal pathways to the US.But Trump’s efforts to detain and deport foreign nationals have been an economic boon for private contractors that service the US immigration enforcement system.GEO Group, one such company, has seen its stock price rise by 55 percent over the last six months.The Trump administration’s efforts to expand detention infrastructure have resulted in a series of lucrative contracts for the company, including a $1bn agreement to open a facility in New Jersey’s largest city, Newark.“Last year was the most successful period for new business wins in our company’s history,” CEO George Zoley said during an earnings call last week.Venturella, who has worked at ICE under both Democratic and Republican administrations, served as an executive at GEO Group before rejoining ICE last year.Silky Shah, the executive director of the Detention Watch Network, told The Associated Press news agency that Venturella’s hiring was a “classic example of the revolving-door phenomena”.