Man whose Geo Group company runs Aurora Detention Center for ICE is also an immigrant to U.S.

People gather outside the Aurora Contract Detention Facility on July 18, 2020, at a protest organized by Abolish ICE Denver (Faith Miller/Colorado Newsline).

The man who is making a killing from Trump’s current onslaught of immigrant persecution is himself an immigrant. In fact, if George Zoley had been born just 20 years later, he’d more likely be cowering inside the Aurora Detention Center instead of raking in the profits from it. 

At this point, the ICE Processing Center run by Zoley’s company Geo Group is well known for its sprawling size and reputation for brutal conditions. An unannounced inspection of the facility in June of 2024 by the Department of Homeland Security found numerous violations including failure to provide appropriate medical care to detainees, failure to document solitary confinement and even failure to provide pillows to those forced to sleep on cots and concrete. The center has been the defendant in numerous lawsuits related to conditions within its walls. 

It seems the Geo Group’s tendency to inappropriately use solitary confinement dates back years as Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO) registered his concerns as early as July, 2020, when he questioned Zoley at the Homeland Security Committee hearing. 

“Our office received countless complaints regarding the GEO-run Detention Center in Colorado,” Neguse stated, “Including allegations of inhumane treatment and civil rights violations.”

But Zoley was not always in a position to abuse power. Instead, he started life much as the individuals his facility detains.

George Zoley was born in Greece on September 7, 1950, and is the founder and executive chairman of the GEO Group, which owns and operates the huge ICE detention center in Aurora. As Trump attempts to make good on his campaign promise to deport “millions of illegal immigrants,” one of the expenses he faces is a build-out of ICE, military, and detention facilities across the U.S. and Cuba.

It’s no wonder that since the election, Geo Group’s stock has more than doubled in value. 

Two companies: Geo Group and CoreCivic have a monopoly on detention centers. Geo Group owns and operates 50 facilities — both correctional and immigration detention centers. CoreCivic, has the contract to operate 43 facilities, most owned by the military or the U.S. Marshalls. And before you go thinking there’s some good competition between the two companies, know this: CoreCivic’s majority shareholder is Blackrock. And Blackrock is the largest individual Geo Group Shareholder, owning 20.45 million shares, representing 14.63 % of the company.

Both GEO Group and CoreCivic have political action committees and make substantial contributions to parties and PACS and individual candidates. CoreCivic gave $762,424 in the 2024 election cycle alone. GEO Group $3.4 million. George was no slouch himself, maxing out his contributions to PACS and candidates across the country, but with a concentration in Florida, Arizona, and of course, to Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. All in all, Zoley spent $235,463 in personal contributions during the 2024 cycle.

It was a good investment, after all. Especially for an immigrant of humble means. 

George Zoley (nee Zolis) came over as a 3 year-old on the ship the “Nea Hellas” from Piraeus, Greece on September 3, 1953. He was 3. His mother, Anastassia Zolis, was 28, his brother, Elias, was 5.

They moved directly to Ohio where George’s father Chris Konstantinos Zolis had settled three years earlier, after coming over on the same ship. 

George attended public school at Copley High in Copley, Ohio. Like the ‘Dreamers’ who came after him, George identified as an American.

He married Donna Pappas on April 23, 1970, in Florida. They currently live in a 13,000 square foot Boca Raton mansion that has nine bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. Today his net worth is estimated at nearly $100 million, approximately half of which is in Geo stock. He purchased over $3 million worth just last August.

In 2002, Zoley received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which is awarded to individuals who: “have made it their mission to share with those less fortunate, their wealth of knowledge, indomitable courage, boundless compassion, unique talents and selfless generosity. They do so while acknowledging their debt to their ethnic heritage as they uphold the ideals and spirit of America”. It is confusing until you see that while Jimmy Carter has been awarded this honor, so has Anita Bryant and Donald Trump.

How did Zoley get rich as an immigrant while his fellow travelers are now being roughed up, rounded up, caged and deported? All a matter of timing — he arrived long before green card and naturalization rules became stricter.

In the 50s and 60s, an 18-year-old with a green card only needed to be of “good moral character,” have not spent more than 180 days in jail, and agree to honor the Constitution. So as soon as George came of age, he was a shoe-in.

Zoley did not respond to an email request for comment. This article will be updated with any response received.

Editor’s note: This story first appeared on the Colorado Times Recorder website.