Locals Protest Citizens Bank Over Financing of ICE Prisons

Published: Friday, June 5, 2026

by Michela DiLorenzo

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J – SOMA Action, an activist group based in South Orange and Maplewood, planned a protest for this weekend against Citizens Bank over the bank’s ties to the GEO Group and CoreCivic. The protest is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Citizens Bank on South Orange Avenue. Activists are calling for Citizens Bank to cut off loans, bond underwriting and credit lines for CoreCivic and The GEO Group.

 

These private corporations receive taxpayer funds to run dozens of federal ICE detention centers across the nation, including Delaney Hall in Newark and the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in Elizabeth. The GEO Group has faced multiple controversies over alleged medical neglect, improper air conditioning, and unsafe living conditions in Delaney Hall. CoreCivic, which owns the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, has seen repeated protests from immigration activist groups.

 

While Citizens Bank claims it’s committed to social responsibility, activists said the company’s financial connection with these private corporations is irresponsible. “Citizens Bank says it’s committed to strengthening communities,” said Carol Costello, an organizer with Montclair Indivisible. “Yet it has helped CoreCivic and GEO Group access billions in credit.”

 

Activists suggested that Citizens Bank customers move their accounts elsewhere until the company agrees to stop financing immigration detention centers and private prisons. Echoing this sentiment, the focus of SOMA Action’s protest this weekend is to demand the bank end ties with these private corporations. “On Saturday, we'll be among thousands of protesters at Citizens' branches around the country that come together to demand an end to the bank's support for the detention and deportation agenda,” said a SOMA spokesperson in a statement.

 

In a statement from Citizens Bank, the company said it’s always ready to overview its financial commitments to ensure they align with the bank's standards of responsibility. “Every relationship is subject to rigorous due diligence and ongoing monitoring,” said a Citizens Bank spokesperson in a statement, “and we are prepared to exit relationships when those standards are not met, consistent with contractual and regulatory obligations.”

 

For more information reach out to Michela DiLorenzo at michela.dilorenzo@student.shu.edu 

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