Taylor Swift Faces Backlash After Fans Discover Executive of ICE Detention Contractor Attended Wedding

Taylor Swift has come under fire from some fans after Steven J. Demetriou, executive chair of Amentum Services, was reportedly identified among the guests at her wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce in New York this week.

The criticism gathered pace online after social media users linked Demetriou to the company currently operating Camp East Montana, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centre that has faced intense scrutiny over its conditions and oversight.

Swift and Kelce celebrated their marriage at Madison Square Garden in a ceremony attended by a host of celebrities, including Hugh Grant, Bradley Cooper, Graham Norton and Cara Delevingne. Attention later shifted away from the wedding itself after photographs showed Demetriou among those attending, prompting fans to question his presence because of Amentum's role as the sole contractor for the ICE facility.

Fans Fuming At Swift's Wedding Guest

Much of the criticism played out on Reddit, where some fans said they were disappointed to see Demetriou at the wedding.

One commenter described the guest list as 'absolutely grotesque and out of touch', while another argued that Swift and Kelce were responsible for the people they chose to invite. Others questioned what Demetriou's attendance suggested, with one user writing, 'You are the company you keep.'

Another commenter called the situation 'sickening', claiming the singer had failed to use her influence to challenge political views they opposed.

Demetriou attended the wedding alongside his wife and his son, Ohio Republican Representative Steven J. Demetriou Jr., who later described the ceremony to reporters as 'epic, great and life-changing.'

The source also notes that Demetriou has personal ties to the groom. He is the adoptive father of basketball player Reggie King, one of Kelce's close childhood friends, offering a possible explanation for his presence at the wedding. The report does not suggest that Demetriou attended because of his business role or that Swift and Kelce endorsed Amentum's work.

ICE Contractor Connection

The criticism surrounding Demetriou's appearance at the wedding stems largely from his role as executive chair of Amentum Services, the company now responsible for operating Camp East Montana, an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas.

The Trump administration initially awarded a $1.3 billion (£960 million) contract to Acquisition Logistics LLC to build and operate the 5,000-bed centre in July 2025, despite the company having no previous experience running a detention facility. According to the source material, the contract carried a financial ceiling of $2.7 billion (approximately £2 billion).

Camp East Montana has faced repeated controversy since opening.

The facility was built at Fort Bliss on the site of a World War II internment camp that housed Japanese Americans, prompting condemnation from Japanese American organisations and other advocacy groups. A subcontractor employee died at the construction site shortly after work began.

The Department of Homeland Security later replaced Acquisition Logistics with Amentum Services after what the source describes as a series of serious operational problems. Amentum received a sole-source contract to manage the detention centre, overseeing housing, transport and medical care for detainees.

Since the facility opened, at least three detainees have died while in custody. One of those deaths, involving 55-year-old Cuban national Geraldo Lunas Campos, was ruled a homicide by the El Paso County Medical Examiner, although Department of Homeland Security officials have described his death as the result of an attempted suicide.

A recent report also identified a series of operational failings at Camp East Montana. According to the findings, the facility opened without perimeter security cameras, outdoor recreation areas or dedicated spaces for legal and family visits because ICE did not inspect the site before detainees arrived, despite agency policy requiring such inspections.

Investigators also cited gaps in medical care, unsanitary conditions, and the loss of a loaded firearm. The report further stated that evidence connected to Lunas Campos' death was 'missing or destroyed'.

Following the change in contractors, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said ICE had appointed a new provider after ending the previous agreement and was continuing efforts to improve standards across its detention facilities.

Questionable Wedding Guests

Demetriou was not the only wedding guest to attract attention. Actor Brad Pitt also drew criticism online because of long-running public allegations concerning his relationship with his children. The source notes that Pitt has repeatedly denied the allegations against him and that the FBI previously cleared him of wrongdoing.

Neither Swift nor Kelce had publicly responded to the criticism at the time of the report, and it also does not suggest either was involved in the management or operation of Amentum Services beyond Demetriou's attendance at their wedding.