Bank of America announced Wednesday that it would no longer finance operators of immigrant detention centers and private prisons.
The bank has decided to “exit the relationships” it has with companies that provide detention services at the state and federal level and has been discussing the issue “for some time,” according to a statement provided to USA TODAY.
“The private sector is attempting to respond to public policy and government needs and demands in the absence of long standing and widely recognized reforms needed in criminal justice and immigration policies,” the statement read. “Lacking further legal and policy clarity, and in recognition of the concerns of our employees and stakeholders in the communities we serve, it is our intention to exit these relationships.”
