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🧵 We've been digging into the genesis of these 'mobile detention facilities' to find out whether the idea is new or has been in the works a while. So we went through the solicitation's attachments and their metadata. The file describing them lists a GEO Group executive vice president as its author.

First, a quick file topography. ICE posted its turnkey detention solicitation to SAM.gov on Aug. 28, with attachments spelling out requirements for four regions: Denver, Miami, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Attachment 10 covers ICE's general transportation requirements, which apply to all four. Its metadata lists Benjamin Shih as author, matching a senior acquisition policy analyst in DHS's Office of the Chief Procurement Officer. Created Aug. 28, 2026, the day the solicitation posted.

Attachment 10c lists the routes a Philadelphia-area contractor would drive, moving detainees between jails, courts and airports across the region. Its author is Ashley Neill, which does not match a contracting officer, but does match a GEO Group VP of operations. The file was created Dec. 10, 2025.

Author and date fields log the user on the machine and when a file was made. It's the best clue for a file's provenance. We can confidently say that the idea of 'mobile detention facilities' goes back to the end of 2025. If it appears anywhere in the public record earlier, we haven't found it.

What the metadata points to is GEO Group's involvement in shaping the transportation and "mobile detention facility" requirements, months before ICE advertised the contract. We asked GEO for comment and have not received a response.

If you or someone you know has any info that could shed light on GEO's use of 'mobile detention facilities,' please reach out to mwriston.410, on or off the record, full anonymity.