Matthew T. Albence
Matthew T. Albence is a former Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who joined GEO Group as a senior executive after leaving government service. He is notable for having described family detention centers as “more like summer camp.”
Career Timeline
- ICE career (1994-2020) – 26 years in federal law enforcement, beginning as a Special Agent with the former INS in San Antonio
- Executive Associate Director for ERO (February 2017) – Ran ICE’s enforcement and removal operations
- Acting ICE Director (April-May 2019, July 2019-August 2020) – Led the agency during a period of aggressive immigration enforcement
- Senior Vice President, Client Relations, GEO Group (2022 - present) – Joined GEO replacing a retiring senior executive
“Summer Camp” Comment
In 2019, Albence described family detention centers as “more like summer camp” – a comment that drew widespread condemnation and became emblematic of the disconnect between ICE leadership’s characterizations and conditions documented by inspectors and advocates.
Pattern
Albence is one of at least six former ICE officials in GEO Group’s leadership. His role as SVP Client Relations – managing the relationship between GEO and its government clients – directly leverages his decades of insider knowledge of ICE’s operations, culture, and decision-making processes.