U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is undertaking a significant, nationwide expansion of its physical infrastructure, securing leases for over 150 new office locations across the country. The rapid build-out, which began in September, is being facilitated by the General Services Administration (GSA) and is driven, in part, by a White House initiative to hire 13,000 new ICE employees and the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The expansion isn’t simply about establishing a larger presence; it’s about building out the logistical and legal framework to support increased enforcement actions. While the image of ICE often conjures up images of enforcement teams, a substantial portion of this expansion focuses on bolstering the agency’s legal operations. Representatives from ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OLA) have been actively working with the GSA to expedite the leasing process, specifically requesting locations to support their legal work.
According to internal memoranda, OLA is targeting cities including Birmingham, Alabama; Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers, Florida; Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida; Des Moines, Iowa; Boise, Idaho; Louisville, Kentucky; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; Long Island, New York; Columbus, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Richmond, Virginia; Spokane, Washington; and Cord Delaine, Idaho, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This list represents a significant portion of the overall expansion plan.
The GSA is reportedly prioritizing these leases, even circumventing typical procurement rules by citing “national security concerns” and “critical space needs.” This allows for a departure from standard procedures with what’s described as “unusual and compelling urgency justification.” An internal email from a GSA commissioner explicitly approved an exception to an acquisition pause for all actions supporting the ICE hiring surge, regardless of cost.
The nature of these new offices is multifaceted. They aren’t solely intended to house enforcement personnel. A key component is providing space for ICE lawyers – those within OLA – who are responsible for navigating the legal complexities of deportation proceedings. These lawyers prepare cases, argue before courts, and process the paperwork associated with deportation orders. The expansion aims to provide them with the necessary infrastructure to handle an increased caseload.
The locations being considered are often situated in conventional office buildings, frequently near essential community services like schools, medical offices, and places of worship. Examples include a location next to a childcare agency in Irvine, California, offices near a passport center on Long Island, New York, and space blocks from a preschool in The Woodlands, Texas. In El Paso, Texas, ICE is moving into a multi-building office campus.
the expansion appears to be strategically coordinated with plans for new immigration detention facilities. Some of the newly leased sites are located near existing or planned detention centers, suggesting a deliberate effort to streamline the enforcement and detention process. Locations are being set up within a relatively short distance – ranging from 20 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes – of these detention facilities.
The scale of this expansion is substantial. By early November , at least 19 leasing projects had already been awarded in cities like Nashville, Dallas, Sacramento, and Tampa, with dozens more in the pipeline spanning from Miami to Pittsburgh to Newark. The agency has secured at least 54 properties across the country, with the total exceeding 150.
The financial backing for this expansion is considerable. ICE has access to approximately 80 billion
to spend, with 75 billion
of that earmarked for expenditure within the next four years. This substantial funding allows for a broad and rapid deployment of resources.
While the expansion is underway, it’s important to note that the GSA maintains We see adhering to all lease procurement procedures and applicable laws and regulations. However, the expedited process and the invocation of national security concerns have raised questions about transparency and accountability. The rapid pace of the expansion, coupled with the circumvention of standard procedures, suggests a concerted effort to quickly bolster ICE’s capabilities.
