True to his campaign promise, the administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to spend $45 billion to increase the incarceration of migrants , benefiting the private companies that supported his campaign to return to the White House.

Reports indicate that the number of imprisoned migrants is around 60,000, and 90% of them are held in facilities run by just a handful of companies involved in the U.S. prison industry.

Damon Hinninger, CEO of CoreCivic, one of the recipients, enthusiastically welcomed Trump’s inauguration : “This is truly one of the most exciting periods of my career with the company. We anticipate significant growth opportunities, perhaps the most significant growth in our company’s history, over the next several years.”

For its part, GEO Group not only contributed $3.4 million to Trump’s campaign, but also fostered connections with figures who now hold key positions, such as Tom Homan, the “border czar” who was primarily in charge of the “largest deportation in history” and a consultant for the company. Furthermore, Pam Bondi, the country’s current attorney general, was a lobbyist for the company in 2019, shortly after she joined Trump’s defense team in his first impeachment attempt.

The Trump administration is aiming to create more than 100,000 beds for incarcerated migrants , though privately, companies have said they believe demand could rise to 200,000, which is good news for the main contractors in the prison industry.