Protesters are calling on Citizens Bank to stop financing private prison companies that operate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers.
The movement reflects a growing effort by civic and interfaith groups to pressure financial institutions to decouple their capital from the private incarceration industry. Activists argue that by providing funding to these firms, the bank becomes complicit in the federal government's immigration detention system.
Demonstrations began April 30, 2026, with protests held in Stamford, Connecticut, and Great Neck, New York [1]. In Great Neck, approximately 50 people gathered to demand the bank cut ties with ICE contractors [4].
The unrest expanded in early May. On May 2, dozens of demonstrators rallied outside the Citizens Bank headquarters in Providence, Rhode Island [3]. These groups targeted the bank's relationship with CoreCivic and The GEO Group, two of the largest private prison operators in the U.S. [1, 2].
Critics said the financing provided to these companies enables the continued operation of facilities that hold immigrants in detention [2, 3]. The pressure has extended beyond physical rallies to public discourse, including a May 8 opinion piece in the Boston Globe that decried the bank's ties to the prison industry [4].
Local interfaith and civic groups have led the calls for divestment, arguing that the bank's financial support contradicts humanitarian values. Some reports indicate the bank is facing an increase in account withdrawals as customers react to these ties [2].
“Citizens Bank is facing protests across several states for financing private‑prison firms.”
This campaign is part of a broader trend of 'ethical banking' where consumers use financial leverage to influence corporate policy. By targeting the funding sources of private prison operators like CoreCivic and The GEO Group, protesters aim to make the business of private immigration detention financially unsustainable.
