ICE Plans $38.3B Expansion to Hold 92,600 Detainees

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to invest $38.3 billion in expanding its detention network by converting warehouses and other industrial buildings into facilities capable of holding up to 92,600 detainees by the end of fiscal year 2026, according to internal agency documents shared with New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte.

The initiative, outlined in a memo circulated to Ayotte's office, calls for acquiring and retrofitting 16 regional processing centers, each designed to accommodate 1,000 to 1,500 detainees for three to seven days. An additional eight large-scale detention centers, each with capacity for 7,000 to 10,000 individuals, would hold detainees for an average of 60 days and serve as primary sites for international removals. The plan also includes taking over 10 existing facilities already operated by ICE's enforcement division. These nontraditional sites aim to support anticipated increases in arrests and enforcement operations under the current administration's immigration policies.

The documents, which Ayotte released publicly after receiving them in response to her inquiry on the economic effects in her state, emphasize the need for expanded capacity...