CBC News reported on several developing stories during a live broadcast, including a controversial contract awarded to a Montreal-based security firm and international political developments.

Garterworld and the Arizona Detention Center

A Montreal-based security firm, Garterworld, has secured a $313 million U.S. contract to convert and operate a 1,500-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Surprise, Arizona. The contract could potentially be worth up to $700 million U.S. (approximately $1 billion Canadian), according to the broadcast. The contract includes providing food, medical care, and processing services for detainees.

Corporate watchdogs in Quebec have called for increased scrutiny of the deal, noting that Garterworld received a $300 million investment from the Quebec provincial government in 2022. Critics question the appropriateness of provincial funding for a company involved in ICE detention operations.

Garterworld, founded in Montreal in 1995, is now valued at $14 billion U.S. with global operations. The company has faced criticism regarding its involvement with a detention facility in Florida, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” which is currently facing legal challenges over alleged human rights abuses. While Garterworld is not named as a defendant in those lawsuits, an Amnesty International report detailed “inhuman and unsanitary conditions” at the facility, including claims of detainees being punished with confinement in small spaces without water.

Garterworld stated in a press release that its U.S. subsidiary operates independently and “with respect for human rights, personal dignity, employee safety and rigorous governance.” A spokesperson for Quebec’s economy minister said the province’s financing of Garterworld is not tied to its U.S. operations and was contingent on the company maintaining its Montreal headquarters. Quebec Solidaire, an opposition party, is calling for Investissement Quebec to sever ties with Garterworld.

Canada Denies Entry to European MP

Several advocacy groups are questioning the Canadian government’s decision to deny entry to Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament. Hassan was scheduled to attend conferences in Montreal focused on Palestinian issues and the rise of the far-right. According to her political party, La France Insoumise, Hassan initially received electronic travel authorization but was later informed her request was under review, reportedly due to her previous denial of entry into Israel and her pro-Palestinian views.

One Montreal-based social justice group characterized the decision as a troubling example of repression, while the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and B'nai B'rith praised the move, stating they had provided information to the Canada Border Services Agency. CBC News reported that B'nai B'rith did not respond to a request for details on the information shared.

Changes to Transgender Protection Laws in India

The broadcast also reported on changes to transgender protection laws in India. A new bill amends a 2019 act, removing the right to self-identify as transgender and imposing restrictions on access to gender-affirming surgery, which now requires approval from a medical board.

Advocates and individuals within the transgender community express concern that the changes represent a reversal of hard-won rights. International human rights organizations have echoed these concerns. The Indian government maintains the changes are intended to protect individuals from human trafficking and abuse, and that protections for intersex and gender-nonconforming individuals will remain in place.