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Thanedar introduces bill to cap price gouging in ICE facilities
The legislation follows reports that private detention companies have been marking up basic items such as coffee, tampons, snacks and batteries by 50% to 110%.
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Staff Reporter - Thu, 20, Aug 2026
- 01:34 EDT
- 32
Congressman Shri Thanedar / X
Congressman Shri Thanedar has introduced the Stop ICE Price Gouging Act, a bill aimed at curbing excessive price markups on essential goods for individuals held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers.
The legislation follows reports that private detention companies have been marking up basic items such as coffee, tampons, snacks and batteries by 50% to 110%, Thanedar said in a statement on Aug. 19.
He pointed out that although ICE standards require free access to basic hygiene products, limited supplies force many detainees to purchase extra items at inflated prices.
“Private detention companies should not be able to charge people in detention outrageous prices for basic necessities,” Thanedar said. “People should not have to pay unreasonable prices for everyday items like soap, toothpaste or snacks. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with dignity.”
To address these practices, the proposed legislation, he said, sets strict limits on commissary pricing.
The Stop ICE Price Gouging Act caps markups at 5% for essential personal care items such as soap, toothpaste and menstrual products, while capping markups for nonessential goods at 35%. Additionally, the bill completely prohibits extra administrative fees, kickbacks and revenue-sharing arrangements between private facility operators and vendors.
Thanedar, who represents Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, which encompasses Detroit, Downriver and the Grosse Pointes, emphasized that private detention companies should not profit unfairly from basic human needs, stating that everyone in custody deserves fair treatment and dignity.
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