US Plans $38 Billion Detention Expansion to Hold Tens of Thousands of Migrants
The US government will spend $38.3 billion retrofitting warehouses into detention centers, aiming to detain tens of thousands of migrants nationwide.
Documents released by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) show the Department of Homeland Security plans to acquire 16 warehouses and retrofit them into regional processing centers, each capable of holding 1,000–1,500 detainees for short-term stays averaging three to seven days, Garidan reported on Friday.
Eight additional large-scale detention centers will hold 7,000–10,000 detainees for roughly 60 days, serving as primary locations for deportations. These facilities aim to centralize processing and reduce nationwide transfers.
The plan follows disclosures to New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte and comes amid a surge in ICE hires and record-high detainee numbers under the Trump administration’s second term, according to internal planning documents.
An estimated $158 million will retrofit a new facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, with $146 million projected for operational costs over the first three years. Contractors will construct detention areas, medical and dental services, cafeterias, recreational zones, and court spaces.
The documents emphasize that the new detention system will ensure “safe and humane civil detention” while enabling ICE to expedite mass deportations, supported by billions appropriated through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for Fiscal Year 2026.
Instead of moving detainees around the country based on available beds, the redesigned system channels individuals into centralized facilities where they remain until deportation, strengthening ICE’s ability to apprehend and remove migrants efficiently.
Despite political opposition and criticism, including concerns over human rights and public safety voiced by state leaders like Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, the administration plans to fully implement the $38 billion expansion this year.
The $38 billion detention expansion marks the most significant US effort to reshape immigration enforcement infrastructure, signaling a major shift in detention policy with both domestic and international implications.
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