ICE’s Ambitious Expansion: Turning Warehouses into Detention Centers
In a significant move to expand detention capabilities, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to allocate $38.3 billion to increase its capacity to 92,600 beds. This expansion involves the conversion of warehouses into detention and processing centers, according to a document released on Friday.
The disclosure came after New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, shared the document online. The move adds to the ongoing debate over ICE’s intent to transform a warehouse in Merrimack into a 500-bed processing facility.
ICE’s strategy includes establishing 16 regional processing centers, each housing 1,000 to 1,500 detainees with average stays between three to seven days. Additionally, eight larger detention centers are planned, accommodating 7,000 to 10,000 detainees for periods typically under 60 days. The document also highlights plans to acquire 10 existing “turnkey” facilities.
This expansion is part of a broader $45 billion effort to enhance detention facilities, funded by President Donald Trump’s recent tax cuts. The goal is to have all centers operational by November.
As of mid-January, ICE was detaining over 75,000 immigrants, a significant increase from 40,000 a year earlier, according to recent federal data.
The document also mentions ICE’s recent acquisition of at least seven warehouses, some exceeding 1 million square feet, across Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas. However, property purchase attempts in six cities failed due to sellers retracting under activist pressure, but other deals, such as those in New York, remain underway.
Local officials often find themselves in the dark about ICE’s plans until property transactions are completed.
ICE’s actions sparked controversy following interim Director Todd Lyons’ testimony. He claimed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had collaborated with Governor Ayotte and provided her with an economic impact summary. Ayotte refuted this, stating, “Director Lyons’ comments today are another example of the troubling pattern of issues with this process.” She asserted the summary was only sent hours after the testimony.
Furthermore, the document erroneously mentioned economic impacts on Oklahoma, including state sales and income taxes, which do not apply to New Hampshire.
While DHS did not address Ayotte’s comments directly, it has confirmed the search for additional detention space. It emphasized that these facilities should not be labeled as “warehouses,” insisting they will be “very well structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards.”
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