The federal government has acquired a three-property immigration detention complex in Southern California’s Inland Empire from GEO Group for $950 million. The portfolio will serve U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Commercial Observer.
The assets include two ICE processing centers with 1,280 beds and 660 beds, respectively, along with a third detention property containing 704 beds. Together, the facilities provide capacity for 2,644 people.
GEO Group, the Boca Raton, Florida-based prison operator, was the seller. The transaction transfers ownership of the detention real estate to the federal government while preserving its use within the immigration enforcement system.
For the Inland Empire commercial property market, the deal represents an unusually large federal acquisition of specialized institutional real estate. Detention and processing facilities have a narrow pool of potential users, making direct government ownership a distinct model from conventional private-sector leasing or third-party operation.
