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Detention · Government Spending · Immigration · Real Estate
The Trump administration is implementing a sweeping $38 billion plan to expand immigration detention facilities nationwide, aiming to significantly boost capacity and accelerate deportations through the acquisition and conversion of warehouses into new detention centers under an intensified ICE crackdown.
This initiative, termed the Detention Reengineering Initiative, will add 16 new processing sites and integrate 10 existing "turnkey" facilities, with the largest new site designed to accommodate 10,000 individuals. Specific investments include an estimated $158 million for retrofitting a new detention facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, and an additional $146 million to operate that facility over its first three years.
According to published documents sent to the governor of New Hampshire by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disclosed these figures. The administration states this model will create an efficient detention network by increasing total bed capacity and streamlining removal operations.
The Washington Post initially reported these expansion plans. Local communities and state leaders from Arizona to Texas and Maryland have expressed concerns regarding the purchases and conversions of warehouses.
