Over the last decade, Nana Regional Corp. — an Alaska Native corporation based in a small community roughly 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle — has won contracts worth more than $1 billion to run and support ICE detention facilities around the US.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporter Polly Mosendz and KOTZ news director Desiree Hagen look into how a company that once focused on local Alaskan industries, like mining and hospitality, became an ICE detention giant — and why some shareholders are starting to push back.

This story was reported in collaboration with KOTZ and Alaska Public Media. KOTZ, a partner station of Alaska Public Media, has received donations from local businesses, including Nana, in the past.

Read more: Distant ICE Detention Centers Bring Money—and Anger—to an Alaska Native Community

Why Small Towns Are Hooked on ICE Detention

Over the last decade, Nana Regional Corp. &mdash; an Alaska Native corporation based in a small community roughly 30 miles north of the Arctic Circle &mdash; has won contracts worth more than $1 billion to run and support ICE detention facilities around the US.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg investigative reporter Polly Mosendz and KOTZ news director Desiree Hagen look into how a company that once focused on local Alaskan industries, like mining and hospitality, became an ICE detention giant &mdash; and why some shareholders are starting to push back.
This story was reported in collaboration with KOTZ and Alaska Public Media. KOTZ, a partner station of Alaska Public Media, has received donations from local businesses, including Nana, in the past.
Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-10-23/ice-detention-centers-bring-money-anger-to-alaska-native-community?srnd=undefined">Distant ICE Detention Centers Bring Money&mdash;and Anger&mdash;to an Alaska Native Community</a> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-14/president-trump-s-deportation-agenda-is-driving-business-for-small-town-jails">Why Small Towns Are Hooked on ICE Detention</a>

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

How Did an Alaska Native Corporation Become an ICE Detention Giant?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/f47b2520-b35f-4a8e-93ef-b37f014ce4f7/transcript

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