Warren said Venturella’s response left unresolved questions about ICE contracting, other private prison holdings and the scope of his ethics commitments.
Acting ICE Director David Venturella said he has sold his Geo Group shares and “fully recused himself from all contracts and obligations related to detention,” responding to conflict-of-interest scrutiny tied to his past work for one of the largest U.S. private prison operators. In a letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Venturella said he had complied with ethics rules, disclosed his employment with Geo Group before joining the Department of Homeland Security and would avoid matters that could benefit the company. Warren later said his response left “key loopholes” in place and sought more information on ICE’s contracting process and whether he owns stock in other private prison companies, including CoreCivic. The exchange comes as Geo Group expands detention capacity under contracts signed last year and as President Trump’s June nomination of Lance Schroyer to lead ICE permanently awaits a Senate confirmation hearing.