Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17
Citizens Bank Ends Ties With 2 Private Prison Firms as Protest Campaign Forces Retreat
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17

Citizens Bank Ends Ties With 2 Private Prison Firms as Protest Campaign Forces Retreat

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 17

Summary

  • Citizens Bank said it will wind down banking relationships with CoreCivic and GEO Group, two private prison operators that run immigration detention facilities under Trump administration contracts.
  • Two New Jersey city councils — Montclair and Jersey City — had voted to pull public funds from Citizens unless it cut ties, capping a sustained campaign by advocates and customers.
  • Citizens said the move was a business decision, arguing federal plans to buy several CoreCivic facilities and talks with GEO had reduced the companies’ financing needs.
  • The decision lands amid a broader fight over “debanking” in Trump’s second term, with federal regulators scrutinizing banks’ account closures and warning of possible penalties.

Insights

A bank cites business needs for dropping private prisons. Did protests actually force its hand?
With major banks pulling funding, how will the private prison industry finance its future operations?