MONTREAL – A Montreal-based security firm, Garterworld, is at the centre of a growing controversy after securing a contract worth up to $700 million USD to operate a 1,500-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre in Surprise, Arizona. The contract, awarded in March, covers all “wraparound services” including food, medical care, and detainee processing.

Concerns Over Human Rights Record

The deal has drawn criticism from corporate watchdogs in Quebec, who point to Garterworld’s involvement with the controversial detention facility in Florida, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” which faces legal challenges alleging human rights abuses. While Garterworld is not named as a defendant in those lawsuits, reports from Amnesty International detail “inhuman and unsanitary conditions” within the facility, including claims of punishment involving confinement in small spaces without water.

Garterworld maintains it operates with “respect for human rights, personal dignity, employee safety and rigorous governance,” and states its U.S. subsidiary operates independently. However, critics are questioning the Quebec government’s $300 million investment in the company in 2022, given its involvement with ICE.

“I think that there are questions that need to be asked and I think that they need to be asked both of Garterworld and of the Quebec government,” said a corporate watchdog. Quebec Solidaire is calling for Investissement Québec to cut ties with the firm.

Canada Denies Entry to European MP

Separately, Canada is facing accusations of political bias after denying entry to Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament. Hassan was scheduled to attend conferences in Montreal focused on Palestinian issues and the rise of the far-right.

Her party, La France Insoumise, claims her initial travel authorization was revoked due to her previous denial of entry into Israel and her vocal criticism of Israeli policies. Advocacy groups argue this constitutes “anti-Palestinian racism” and a double standard, noting the ease with which Israeli military members have entered Canada.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has declined to comment on the specifics of Hassan’s case, citing privacy concerns. Hassan will now participate in the conferences virtually.

With the Trump administration boosting funding for ICE, demand for detention centres and the companies to run them is expected to increase.