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Charlton County tables amendment to GEO Group agreement after public comments on ICE facility
Summary
The Board tabled an amendment that would change administrative fees the county receives under its ICE oversight contract with The GEO Group while public commenters urged both denial and support for ICE expansion in Folkston.
Charlton County commissioners on Thursday tabled an amended agreement with The GEO Group that would change the administrative fees the county receives for overseeing the county’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contract, after the county attorney recommended holding off while prior unpaid funds were resolved. The action came alongside public comment from both an immigrant advocacy representative urging denial of an ICE expansion and a resident expressing support for the facility.
The board unanimously voted to table the proposed amendment to the GEO Group agreement so county legal and administrative staff can examine outstanding reimbursement questions. County Attorney John Adams said, “the county should not move forward until discussions about the previously owed funds had come to a resolution.” Commissioner Jesse Crews moved to table and Commissioner James Everett seconded; the motion carried unanimously.
Why it matters: the county receives administrative fees for overseeing the local ICE contract; changes to that agreement affect county revenue and the county’s relationship with GEO and federal immigration contractors. The public comments underscored community divisions over the facility’s presence and potential growth.
Details: Acting County Administrator Rebecca Harden told commissioners she had not been included in prior discussions about previously unpaid funds; she said County Administrator Hull had been speaking to GEO on the issue. The board did not vote on changes to the fee structure and left the proposed amendment in abeyance while staff seek clarity on amounts owed and any past reimbursements.
At the public comment period, Eduardo Ricardo, representing an immigrant advocacy group from Savannah, asked commissioners to deny expansion of the ICE processing facility in Folkston, saying the facility “has had multiple issues with providing adequate medical care and did not meet federal standards in 2022” and urging eventual closure. Orival Thompson, a resident, spoke in support of the ICE facility and asked commissioners to continue supporting it.
The transcript shows no additional public testimony on the GEO amendment and no new monetary figures were introduced during the discussion. The board did not set a date to revisit the amendment; the item remains tabled pending follow-up by the county attorney and administrator.
Commissioners and staff present at the meeting included Chairwoman Alphya Benefield, Commissioners Jesse Crews, James Everett and Luke Gowen, Acting County Administrator Rebecca Harden, County Attorney John Adams, County Clerk Madeline Nettles and other staff. Commissioner Drew Jones was absent.
