Daniel H. Ragsdale is an American lawyer and law enforcement official who transitioned from the second-highest position at ICE directly to a senior executive role at GEO Group, the agency’s largest contractor.

Career Timeline

1. ICE Deputy Director (May 2012 - May 2017) – Second-in-command at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
2. Acting ICE Director (January 20-30, 2017) – Briefly became acting director following Trump’s inauguration, replaced by Tom Homan after 10 days
3. Resigned from ICE (May 2017) – Left government service
4. GEO Group (July 2017 - present) – Joined as Executive Vice President for Contract Compliance. Current title: Senior Vice President, Contract Administration and Compliance (effective January 1, 2025)

Significance

Ragsdale’s 2017 departure was an early, high-profile example of the ICE-to-GEO revolving door that drew significant media attention and criticism from civil rights organizations. As ICE’s second-ranking official, he had intimate knowledge of the agency’s contracting processes, detention standards, facility evaluations, and expansion plans – all directly relevant to GEO Group’s business.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Daniel Ragsdale
• The Daily Beast: ICE Boss to Take Private Prison Gig
• Detention Watch Network: Entanglement deepens
• POGO: Private Prison Giant Hired ICE Detention Chief