Taylor Swift's wedding guest list has come under renewed scrutiny after Steven J. Demetriou, executive chair of Amentum Holdings, a company that holds contracts with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was pictured arriving to her wedding, according to Page Six.
High-Profile Wedding Details
Swift married NFL star Travis Kelce on July 3 at New York's Madison Square Garden in a ceremony attended by around 1,000 guests. The high-profile event included celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Ed Sheeran, Dakota Johnson, Jessica Alba, Jason Sudeikis, Seth Meyers, Ethan Hawke, Brad Paisley and Millie Brown. Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony, while Swift's brother Austin served as her "Man of Honor" and Kelce's brother Jason was his "Best Man."
Controversial Guest Raises Questions
Attention has since shifted to Demetriou, who serves as executive chair of Amentum Holdings and sits on the board of FirstEnergy. Amentum recently became the prime government contractor for Camp East Montana, an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas. According to information cited from the USA Spending website, Amentum Services was awarded a contract valued at approximately $452.9 billion to provide detention, transportation and medical services at the Camp East Montana temporary detention centre for an estimated 180-day period.
Legal and Regulatory Scrutiny
The company has also faced legal and regulatory scrutiny. Material circulating online claims Amentum has been named in dozens of federal lawsuits in recent years involving allegations including False Claims Act violations, antitrust, wage disputes and human trafficking claims, while affiliated companies have reportedly faced more than 100 regulatory violations over the past two decades. Those allegations span multiple legal matters and do not, on their own, establish liability in every case.
Renewed Political Debate
The criticism has also revived discussion surrounding Swift's political stance and her lack of response when the Trump administration used one of her songs in a political TikTok video during Donald Trump's presidency. Fans expressed outrage and disappointment online. "'Taylor swift isn't MAGA' You're right, she just likes having them as friends and befriending abusers and inviting them to her wedding," one person wrote, while another commented, "The way Taylor invited a contractor who’s apart of one of the biggest ICE facility in the US but of course swifities will defend their blond billionaire."
