Bloomfield Protest Will Target Bank Over Financing Of ICE Prisons

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A nationwide day of protest will attempt to hit two of the largest private prison companies in U.S. where it hurts, organizers say: their bank accounts.

A series of rallies against Citizens Bank are scheduled to take place outside branches across the nation on Saturday, June 6. The protests are being organized by local advocacy groups and activists. See a list of locations here.

A protest is being planned outside the Citizens Bank on Broad Street in Bloomfield from 11 a.m. to noon. Learn more here.

Other Essex County protests are being planned in Montclair, Newark, South Orange, Verona and West Caldwell.

Activists are trying to pressure Citizens Bank into cutting off loans, bond underwriting and credit lines for CoreCivic and the GEO Group. The two private corporations receive taxpayer funds to run dozens of federal ICE detention centers across the country.

The GEO Group owns Delaney Hall in Newark, which has made national headlines over the past few weeks due to a detainee hunger strike and ongoing clashes between protesters and law enforcement. CoreCivic owns the Elizabeth Detention Center in Union County, which has also seen repeated protests from local immigration advocates.

• Related: 2 Prison Companies With NJ Ties May Score Big Profits From Trump Deportations

Activists are also calling for Citizens Bank customers to move their accounts elsewhere until the company agrees to stop financing immigration detention centers and private prisons.

“Citizens Bank says it’s committed to strengthening communities, yet it has helped CoreCivic and GEO Group access billions in credit,” criticized Carol Costello, an organizer with Montclair Indivisible.

Another advocacy group in the county, SOMA Action, is also helping to spearhead a local protest this weekend.

“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,” the South Orange and Maplewood-based group said.

Several major lenders including JP Morgan, Chase, Wells Fargo and Barclays pledged to cut ties with CoreCivic and GEO Group in 2019 after a public backlash. However – despite Citizen Bank’s commitment to social responsibility – the company has been providing loans and credit to CoreCivic and The GEO Group for more than a decade, activists say.

Citizens Bank expanded GEO Group’s borrowing capacity by $100 million earlier this year, Banking Dive reported.

A Citizens Bank spokesperson told the publication that the company doesn’t comment on specific client relationships, adding that it stands by them “through good times and challenges – provided they meet our standards and operate in a lawful manner.”

“Every relationship is subject to rigorous due diligence and ongoing monitoring, and we are prepared to exit relationships when those standards are not met, consistent with contractual and regulatory obligations,” they said.

Other parts of the country have been seeing similar campaigns against Citizens Bank.

In Boston, an interfaith coalition of religious groups recently said its members are withdrawing $1 million from its estimated $14 million account.

“We’re not launching this campaign because we hate Citizens Bank – we’re launching it because we know Citizens Bank can be better,” said the Rev. Ray Hammond, pastor at the Bethel AME Church in Boston.

“We’re asking Citizens Bank to stand up for people of all colors and backgrounds – not for brutal private prison companies that are crushing immigrants and ripping communities apart,” Hammond said.

When questioned about a movement to boycott the company, a Citizens Bank spokesperson told Democracy Now! that it’s “not the role of banks to set policy” about issues like immigration:

“Citizens is deeply committed to the communities we serve — investing $2 billion in 2025 to help build or preserve more than 8,000 affordable housing units, contributing over 265,000 volunteer hours, and partnering with nonprofits across our footprint. People have strong and often differing views on issues like immigration. It’s an important public policy debate — but it’s not the role of banks to set policy. Our role is to follow the law and apply our standards consistently as we serve all of our clients.”

Citizens Financial Group Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $227.9 billion in assets as of March. The company reported a first quarter net income of $517 million in April.

“We are pleased to get off to a strong start in 2026 notwithstanding heightened geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in the macro environment,” CEO Bruce Van Saun said.

• Related: NJ Sues Owner Of ICE Prison, Governor Demands Inspections
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• Related: ICE Office In Essex County Suburb Sparks Outcry From Activists

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