Raids by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement have made national headlines. But behind ICE’s operations, a sprawling web of private companies – from global powerhouses to niche family-run businesses – have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts. Peter Andringa from the FT’s visual investigations team spent months crawling through federal documents and data sets to put together a picture of the companies that make up this web.

Clips from ABC7 News Bay Area, CBS 6 Albany, C-SPAN, Donald J Trump, Fox 26 Houston, Fox Nashville, Fox News, NBC Connecticut, The New York Times

The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For further reading:

Companies reap $22bn from Trump’s immigration crackdown

Trump’s immigration data dragnet

The booming business of Trump’s deportation flights

For further listening:

Palantir’s relentless rise

US uses private data to track immigrants

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Follow Peter Andringa on X (@peterjandringa), or on Bluesky (@peter.andringa.me) Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Partners Group pursued an innovative approach to private equity: The firm built a business serving a market of individual investors. Now, a recent executive order from US President Donald Trump is set to unlock that marketplace on an even grander scale.

The only thing is, Partners might not be the one to reap the rewards. The FT’s US private equity and deals editor Antoine Gara and private capital reporter Alexandra Heal explain how the pioneer is struggling to keep up with its rivals.

Clips from CBS, CBS19

The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For further reading:

How private equity’s pioneer in tapping retail money lost its edge

Donald Trump exposes US retirees to new world of risk with 401k order

Buyout executive warns private equity push into US savings risks bailouts

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Follow Antoine Gara on X (@AntoineGara) and Bluesky (@antoinegara.bsky.social). Alexandra Heal is on X (@alexandraheal) and Bluesky (@alexandraheal.bsky.social). Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the hedge fund Elliott Management pursued the acquisition of the oil refinery business Citgo a few years ago, the deal was already a complicated one. A US court had ordered its current owner, Venezuela, to sell the business, and the country was not happy about it. But, things only got thornier after the US President Donald Trump removed the Caribbean nation’s leader Nicolás Maduro. The FT’s US investment correspondent Amelia Pollard and hedge fund correspondent Costas Mourselas explain how Elliott often thrives pursuing complex deals, and how they might navigate closing this one.

Clips from Citgo, CNN, Norges Bank Investment Management, The White House, VTV

The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

For further reading:

Donald Trump’s removal of Maduro clouds fate of Elliott’s Citgo deal

How Venezuela lost Citgo

Hedge funds hunt for Venezuela’s unpaid financial claims

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Follow Costas Mourselas on X (@CostasMourselas) and Bluesky (@costasmourselas.bsky.social). Amelia Pollard is on X (@ameliajpollard) and Bluesky (@pollard.bsky.social). Michela Tindera is on X (@mtindera07) and Bluesky (@mtindera.ft.com), or follow her on LinkedIn for updates about the show and more.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.