Full Breakdown
Activists Fly Banner Over Citizens Bank Park Ahead of All-Star Game, Pressuring Phillies to End Bank Partnership
7/18/2026, 12:59:52 AM
Banner Flyover Targets Phillies’ Bank Partner
On the afternoon of the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, an aerial banner was flown over the stadium at approximately 5 p.m., two hours before the game’s 8 p.m. start. Organized by Indivisible Philadelphia, Cooper River Indivisible and SJNOW Indivisible, the banner called on the Philadelphia Phillies to sever their naming-rights relationship with Citizens Bank because of the bank’s financing of private-prison operators that run Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers.
Context: Citizens Bank’s Financial Links to CoreCivic and GEO Group
Citizens Bank has held the stadium’s naming-rights partnership since the ballpark opened in 2003 under a 25-year, $95 million deal that runs through 2028. Since 2012 the bank has provided roughly $2.5 billion in financing to CoreCivic (formerly Corrections Corp. of America) and GEO Group, including a $100 million credit extension in January. CoreCivic and GEO Group operate 47 ICE detention centers nationwide, including GEO’s Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania and CoreCivic’s Elizabeth Detention Center in New Jersey. A recent report by Temple University law students and the immigrant-rights group Juntos documented physical and psychological abuse, limited legal representation, and inadequate health care at facilities run by these companies.
Official Statements & Responses
Rory Sheehan, head of enterprise communications for Citizens Bank, said the institution “is deeply committed to the clients, customers, and communities we serve across Philadelphia and throughout our footprint.” He added that “claims that suggest otherwise do not reflect who we are or the record we have built over many years” and asserted that “it is not the role of financial institutions to set public policy.” The Phillies declined to comment on the flyover.
Opposition and Advocacy
Indivisible organizers emphasized that “Philadelphia is a city that has long stood with immigrants” and urged the team to align its values with those of its fans and community. The banner campaign follows broader pressure on the bank, including Jersey City Council’s unanimous vote to divest $265 million from Citizens Bank and a pending lawsuit by New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport against GEO Group for alleged health-inspector access violations.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Philadelphia is a city that has long stood with immigrants,” — Indivisible organizers
- “We are calling on the team to demonstrate values that reflect the moral standards of their players, fans, and community,” — Indivisible organizers
- “Citizens is deeply committed to the clients, customers, and communities we serve across Philadelphia and throughout our footprint,” — Rory Sheehan, head of enterprise communications, Citizens Bank
- “Claims that suggest otherwise do not reflect who we are or the record we have built over many years.” — Rory Sheehan, head of enterprise communications, Citizens Bank
