Canadian Firm GardaWorld a Contractor at "Alligator Alcatraz"
U.S.
President Donald Trump tours the cages built to imprison people at
"Alligator Alcatraz" detention centre in Florida, July 1, 2025.
GardaWorld Security Corporation, a Canadian company headquartered in Montreal, describes itself as "a global champion in security services, integrated risk management and cash solutions." It boasts of being "the largest privately owned security company in the world," with its 132,000 "security professionals across the globe," providing "asset and personnel protection, crowd control, and surveillance technology for a wide range of environments and industries."
One of its U.S. subsidiaries, GardaWorld Federal Services, has recently been approved to facilitate detention services for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida's Everglades at "Alligator Alcatraz," with a $138-million cap imposed on the services the company can compete on, which include security guards and patrol services. It has already been awarded one contract worth close to $11 million.
Quebec Premier François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government is trying hard to distance itself from GardaWorld, even though it invested $300 million in the company in 2022.
"To support its global strategic vision, GardaWorld has concluded an agreement with the Government of Québec through Investissement Québec, for a $300 million investment, at market conditions, by way of a private placement in GardaWorld preferred shares," reads an August 24, 2022 announcement on the company's website.[1] "The preferred shares are redeemable by the Company and entitle the holder to a dividend capitalized annually and payable at the time of their redemption by GardaWorld."
"At the time, it was to allow [the company] to make a number of acquisitions outside of Quebec and move forward with investments at its headquarters and its centre of excellence," Christine Fréchette, Quebec Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy told reporters on July 4. "So the investment was made before GardaWorld was involved in this project." And so a question then comes, Minister Fréchette: Has Investissement Québec now rid itself of those shares?
Since Mark Carney became Prime Minister on March 14, his government has awarded GardaWorld over $112 million in contracts. This includes $76 million for "protective services" for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)[2] of which $26 million is for the renewal of a one-year contract ensuring security at the Laval Immigration Holding Centre (IHC).[3]
When the independent publication The Tyee, apprised of the fact that GardaWorld was involved in providing security at "Alligator Alcatraz," contacted Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree's office, which is responsible for the CBSA, to ask whether it intends to continue working with GardaWorld, the answer was that it "will not be commenting on this matter."[4]
Notes
1. "GardaWorld Announces the Acquisition of Global Leader ARCA," August 24, 2022
2. Government of Canada, Government Contracts over $10,000
3. "De Laval à la Floride GardaWorld encaisse des millions publics pour enfermer des migrantes," Observatoire pour la justice migrante, 16 juillet 2025
4. "The Canadian Company Staffing 'Alligator Alcatraz,'" The Tyee, August 8, 2025
(With files from GardaWorld, Journal de Montréal, Government of Canada, Observatoire pour la justice migrante, The Tyee)
This article was published in
Volume 55 Number 7 - July-August 2025
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2025/Articles/MS55072.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca