ICE is executing a $38.3 billion plan to convert 24 industrial warehouses into detention centers holding up to 92,600 people. These core facts are confirmed by Fox News, the Washington Post, Bloomberg, PBS NewsHour, and NBC News.
The initiative, internally called the 'ICE Detention Reengineering Initiative,' aims to be operational by September 30, 2026. Officials say the first site could take detainees as soon as April.
Key contracts went to firms with no prior immigration detention experience. KVG LLC received $113.1 million for Hagerstown, Maryland. GardaWorld Federal Services got $313.4 million for Surprise, Arizona. These figures come from the Washington Post and Bisnow, and the shift away from experienced contractors GeoGroup and CoreCivic has drawn industry criticism.
ICE has already spent over $700 million acquiring 9 of 24 planned warehouses, including $123 million for an 826,000-sq-ft facility near El Paso. Three 'mega centers' with 7,500-10,000 beds are planned for Social Circle, GA; Socorro, TX; and Tremont, PA.
Fox News reported the expansion as part of ICE 'ramping up its deportation push,' framing it as fulfilling Trump's immigration promises. Meanwhile, the Washington Post and NPR documented community resistance — including from Trump voters — in towns where warehouses are being converted without local consultation.
Left-Leaning Emphasis
- Washington Post and NPR focus on untested contractors and lack of community consultation.
- NPR highlights towns that say they 'weren't asked' before warehouses were purchased.
- PBS and Marshall Project document civil liberties concerns about warehouse conditions.
- Brennan Center analysis frames the expansion as 'increasingly unaccountable.'
Right-Leaning Emphasis
- Fox News frames the expansion as fulfilling Trump's promise to ramp up deportations.
- Conservative outlets emphasize the operational capacity: 92,600 beds to support removal operations.
- Right-leaning coverage focuses on the efficiency of the new model vs. the old contractor system.
Sources
- Fox News Mar 9
- Washington Post Mar 9
- PBS NewsHour Mar 9
- NPR Feb 13
- Bloomberg Jan 29