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ICE detention expansion plan

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The United States government is pursuing a major expansion of its immigration detention facilities, known internally as the Detention Reengineering Initiative. The plan is funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and would enable the continuing expansion of detention and removal activities carried out by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the second Trump administration. It is intended to reach a goal of detaining 100,000 immigrants at a time.[1] An ICE document estimated the total cost of the expansion at $38.3 billion.[1][2]

The plan calls for three types of facilities:

  • 8 Large-Scale Detention Facilities, capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 prisoners each, for up to 60 days.
  • 16 Regional Processing Centers, which will serve as routing and transportation nodes, housing 1,000 to 1,500 prisoners each for three to seven days at a time.
  • 10 "turnkey" facilities, where ERO already operates, would also be acquired.[3][2]

To accomplish the plan, ICE has moved to purchase around 20[4] warehouses for conversion into detention facilities. Many of these sites have seen intense public opposition to the purchase, licensing, or opening of new detention facilities.[5]

On March 31, 2026, ICE paused further purchases of warehouses following the appointment of Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security Secretary.[6]

In April 2026, Representative Rashida Tlaib introduced the Ban Warehouse Detention Act, which would prohibit conversions of warehouses and other non-traditional sites into ICE detention centers.[7]

Proposed warehouse purchases

[edit]
ICE detention expansion plan is located in the United States
Oakwood, GA
Oakwood, GA
Socorro, Texas
Socorro, Texas
Roxbury, NJ
Roxbury, NJ
Romulus, MI
Romulus, MI
Surprise, Arizona
Surprise, Arizona
Social Circle, GA
Social Circle, GA
Tremont, PA
Tremont, PA
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Hagerstown, MD
Hagerstown, MD
Hamburg, PA
Hamburg, PA
Van Buren, Michigan
Van Buren, Michigan
Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Concord, NC
Concord, NC
Orlando
Orlando
Harlingen, Texas
Harlingen, Texas
Port Allen, Louisiana
Port Allen, Louisiana
Merrillville, Ind.
Merrillville, Ind.
Merrimack, NH
Merrimack, NH
Lebanon, TN
Lebanon, TN
Byhalia, MS
Byhalia, MS
Chester, NY
Chester, NY
Ashland, VA
Ashland, VA
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City
Hutchins, Texas
Hutchins, Texas
Woodbury, MN
Woodbury, MN
Shakopee, MN
Shakopee, MN
Proposed ICE warehouse locations. Purchased in green; Purchased but paused in yellow; Cancelled or Withdrawn in red; Proposed in blue.
LocationEstimated beds Size (sq. ft.)StatusLocal political responseNotes
Oakwood, Georgia (address in Flowery Branch) 1,500 540,408 Purchased Opposed by city council, Senator Raphael Warnock.[8] Facility purchased by DHS.[9]
Socorro, Texas8,500 826,780PurchasedSocorro officials have raised concerns about water supply. Opposed by Socorro city council, Socorro mayor, El Paso City Council, county.[9][10]Three warehouses purchased totaling 826,780 square feet.[9]
Roxbury, New Jersey1,500 470,044[9]Purchased.Township council opposes.[11] Opposed by state and city lawsuit.[9]Moving forward amidst lawsuit.[12]
Romulus, Michigan500 250,000[9]PurchasedCity Council resolution opposes.[13] Opposed by lawsuit filed by city and state.[9][14] Protested April 25.[15]
Surprise, Arizona1,500 418,000[9]Purchased, but paused.Contracted to Gardaworld Federal Services of Arlington, Virginia.[16] Town mayor reports that current plans cap facility at 542 occupied beds.[9] Lawsuit filed by the state of Arizona to stop the project for lack of environmental review.[17] Work stopped by Federal government on April 22/23.
Social Circle, Georgia8,500 over 1,000,000[18]Purchased, but paused.CIty manager states infrastructure is inadequate for use in detention.[18] Water access for facility blocked by city in March 2026.[19]
Tremont, Pennsylvania7,500 Purchased, but paused.Opposed by state government. Water and sewage service denied.[9]ICE is currently appealing State Department of Environmental Protection limits on water and sewage use.[20]
San Antonio, Texas1,500 Purchased, but paused.Opposed by mayor.[9] City Council resolution puts limits on future facilities, but won't directly affect the purchased one.[21]Paused for environmental review following lawsuits elsewhere in the country.[22]
Hagerstown, Maryland1,500 825,000[23]Purchased, but paused.County commission issued resolution of "unwavering support for ICE" despite protests.[23]Contracted work on the facility is paused due to lawsuit by Maryland's Attorney General.[9][24]
Hamburg, Pennsylvania (Upper Bern Township)1,500 518,140Purchased, but paused.Opposed by Lehigh County Executive.[25] Opposed by sate government. Water and sewage service denied.[9]ICE is currently appealing State Department of Environmental Protection limits on water and sewage use.[20]
Van Buren Township, Michigan Proposed Six-month moratorium on detention center permitting passed on February 17.[26] Warehouse purchase by group linked to Romulus, Michigan, site led to local legislation.[26]
Indianapolis8,500 ProposedOpposed by city officials.[27]
Salt Lake City7,500 833,280[9]Purchased but pausedMayor expressed deep concern with safety and water issues.[9]Facility will be designated as excess property.[28]
Concord, North Carolina1,500 Proposed
Orlando, Florida1,500 439,945[9]ProposedOpposed by county commission.[29]Contractors conducted exploratory tour of 439,945-s.f. facility. No notice provided to the city as of April 2026.[9]
Harlingen, Texas500 Proposed
Port Allen, Louisiana500 Proposed
Merrillville, Ind. 275,000[9] Proposed Town resolution opposes.[5] Property owner Opus Holding LLC stated in February 2026 that it isn't negotiating with DHS.[9]
Merrimack, New Hampshire500 Cancelled[9]Cancellation announced by Governor Kelly Ayotte.[9]
Lebanon, Tennessee10,000 - 15,000 Cancelled[30]County commissioners opposed.[30] State representative states infrastructure is inadequate for use in detention.[31] Local residents oppose.[32]Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto reported that DHS will not move forward with the facility.[30]
Byhalia, Mississippi Cancelled Opposed by local officials.[9] Senator Roger Wicker announced that ICE was looking for a new site after local opposition.[9]
Chester, New York1,500 CancelledPurchase mistakenly announced and no longer under consideration.[9]
Ashland, Virginia 1,000,000 Withdrawn by owner Opposed by County Board of Supervisors[33] Jim Pattison Developments refused sale after public pressure.[33]
Kansas City, Missouri7,500 Withdrawn by ownerCity has banned non-municipal detention facilities.[34]Platform Ventures refused sale after public pressure.[35]
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Withdrawn by owner Withdrawal announced by mayor.[9]
Hutchins, Texas9,500 1,000,000[5]Withdrawn by ownerCity leaders opposed.[5]Property owner refused sale under community pressure.[5]
Woodbury, Minnesota Withdrawn by owner[9]
Shakopee, Minnesota Withdrawn by owner[9]
Sources: Locations, size, and status as of February 18, 2026.[36] Other information as cited in the table.


References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Aleaziz, Madeleine NgoHamed; Ngo, Allison McCannMadeleine; Aleaziz, Hamed; immigration, Allison McCann cover; Documents, Combed Through Internal Government; Article, Property Records for This (2026-02-19). "As ICE Buys Up Warehouses, Even Some Trump Voters Say No". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  2. 1 2 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2026-02-12), Detention Reengineering Initiative
  3. ↑ Gibson, Brittany (2026-02-13). "ICE reveals $38B plan for immigrant mega-jails". Axios. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
  4. ↑ Ngo, Madeleine; Aleaziz, Hamed; McCann, Allison (2026-02-19). "As ICE Buys Up Warehouses, Even Some Trump Voters Say No". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-26. Of the roughly 20 warehouses being eyed for purchase, at least eight have already been bought in states including Maryland, Georgia, Texas and Pennsylvania, according to internal Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by The New York Times. Some purchases collapsed in recent weeks in other areas as potential sellers faced mounting public backlash and canceled sales.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Westervelt, Eric (2026-03-23). "Mapping ICE's expanding footprint, and the communities fighting back". NPR. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  6. ↑ "DHS pauses new immigrant warehouse purchases amid review of Noem-era contracts". AP News. 2026-04-01. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  7. ↑ Valle, Gaby Del (2026-04-23). "Democrats want to ban ICE from turning warehouses into detention centers". The Verge. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  8. ↑ Wright, Irene. "Sen. Warnock tries to stop Georgia ICE detention centers in Congress". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Hollingsworth, Heather (2026-04-09). "How US communities have responded to plans to convert warehouses into immigration detention centers". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  10. ↑ Ramirez, Cindy (2026-04-14). "El Paso leaders want to limit ICE detention centers. Here are 6 things to know". El Paso Matters. Retrieved 2026-05-02.
  11. ↑ Squires, Camille; Gill, Lauren (2026-04-27). "ICE Bought a Warehouse in a Conservative New Jersey Town. Locals Are Now Fighting Back". Bolts. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  12. ↑ Nieto-Munoz, Sophie; Leynse, Benjamin (2026-07-15). "Revived Roxbury migrant jail plan riles local officials". New Jersey Monitor.
  13. ↑ Staff, FOX 2 (2026-04-01). "Romulus ICE facility future in question as DHS pauses additional warehouse purchases". FOX 2 Detroit. Retrieved 2026-04-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ "DHS Facility Updates | Romulus, MI". www.romulusgov.com. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  15. ↑ Veliz, Erick Díaz (2026-04-25). "Hundreds protest in Romulus against proposal to convert warehouse into ICE detention center • Michigan Advance". Michigan Advance. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  16. ↑ "USAspending.gov". www.usaspending.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  17. ↑ Sanchez, Camryn (2026-04-27). "Arizona's attorney general sues DHS to stop planned ICE detention center in Surprise". KJZZ. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  18. 1 2 McCann, Allison; Rosales, Helmuth; Rabinowitz, Eric (2026-03-09). "How ICE Plans to Put 8,500 Immigrants in This Warehouse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  19. ↑ "Georgia town blocks massive immigration center over concerns about water and sewer capacity • Georgia Recorder". Georgia Recorder. 2026-03-18. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  20. 1 2 Previti, Emily (2026-04-09). "ICE fighting DEP orders on two Pennsylvania detention center sites • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  21. ↑ Higgins, Garrett Brnger, Adam B. (2026-04-17). "San Antonio restricts new detention facilities. How might it impact the planned ICE warehouse?". KSAT. Retrieved 2026-04-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ↑ Koithan, Stephanie (2026-04-30). "Legal fights put San Antonio ICE warehouse on pause". San Antonio Current. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  23. 1 2 "Protesters rally against planned Maryland immigration detention facility that's now paused". AP News. 2026-04-09. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  24. ↑ O'Neill, Madeleine (2026-04-27). "An Ingenious New Strategy for Blocking ICE Detention Warehouses Depends on a Minuscule Snail". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  25. ↑ "ICE buys warehouse property in Berks County, Pennsylvania, for $87 million - CBS Philadelphia". www.cbsnews.com. 2026-02-06. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  26. 1 2 Shalhout, Fuad (2026-04-29). "Officials move to block possible second ICE detention center in Metro Detroit". mlive. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  27. ↑ "Is ICE coming to Indy? City of Indianapolis say they are 'not welcome' after reports of proposed facility". Fox 59. 2026-02-25. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  28. ↑ Bojórquez, Kim (2026-08-20). "ICE drops plans to turn SLC warehouse into detention center". Axios.
  29. ↑ "Orange County opposes the use of warehouses for ICE detention center". mynews13.com. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  30. 1 2 3 Cohen, Li (2026-02-25). "Lebanon ICE facility plans 'will not move forward,' Sen. Blackburn says". WSMV. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  31. ↑ Stockard, Sam (2026-02-24). "Tennessee House Republican opposes ICE detention facility for Lebanon • Tennessee Lookout". Tennessee Lookout. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  32. ↑ "Hundreds speak out in Wilson County after ICE mistakenly says detention facility coming to Lebanon". wbir.com. 2026-02-22. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
  33. 1 2 Vanderdeen, Lauren (2026-01-30). "Jim Pattison won't sell U.S. warehouse proposed as new ICE facility". CBC News. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  34. ↑ Henderson, Tim (2026-04-18). "Homeland Security backtracks on some detention center warehouse plans". Maryland Matters. Retrieved 2026-04-30.
  35. ↑ Meier, Travis (2026-02-12). "KC warehouse owners won't sell to the federal government". Axios. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
  36. ↑ Ngo, Madeleine; Aleaziz, Hamed; McCann, Allison (2026-02-19). "As ICE Buys Up Warehouses, Even Some Trump Voters Say No". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
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