USCIS Plans $38.3BN for New Immigration Detention Centers Nationwide

The Trump administration is dramatically reshaping the landscape of immigration detention in the United States, unveiling a sweeping $38.3 billion plan to acquire and retrofit existing industrial warehouses into large-scale detention centers. The initiative, detailed in documents sent to state governors and first reported by the Washington Post, signals a significant escalation in enforcement efforts and a move towards centralized, long-term detention.

According to the documents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intends to purchase and convert 16 buildings into regional processing centers, each capable of holding between 1,000 and 1,500 detainees. An additional eight facilities, significantly larger in scale, will house between 7,000 and 10,000 individuals and will serve as “the primary locations” for deportations. Detainees will initially spend three to seven days at the processing centers before being transferred to the larger facilities for an estimated 60-day hold prior to deportation.

The scale of the investment – $38.3 billion – underscores the administration’s commitment to dramatically increasing detention capacity. The plan is being funded through appropriations made under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which allocated billions towards fully implementing this new detention model by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. The move comes as the number of people in ICE detention has reached record highs, surpassing 56,000 in June 2025, according to Syracuse University data and exceeding the agency’s stated capacity by 40 percent.

The shift towards converting warehouses into detention centers represents a departure from previous ICE practices. Instead of relying on a network of facilities with fluctuating bed space, the agency is aiming to establish a centralized system where detainees remain in large, dedicated facilities until their deportation proceedings are complete. This streamlined approach is intended to expedite the deportation process and increase the overall number of removals.

The plan isn’t without its critics. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued a strong statement opposing the creation of a new ICE detention center in neighboring New Hampshire, calling the move “outrageous” and arguing that it would not enhance public safety. Healey’s statement highlighted a series of incidents involving ICE, including reported deaths, separations of families, and alleged abuses of power, asserting that the agency “can’t be trusted to keep people safe and protect due process.”

The documents reveal that the new facilities are intended to “ensure the safe and humane civil detention of aliens in ICE custody, while helping ICE effectuate mass deportations.” However, the emphasis on “mass deportations” has raised concerns among advocacy groups and legal experts about potential due process violations and the treatment of detainees.

The proposed facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire, is estimated to cost $158 million to retrofit and an additional $146 million to operate over the first three years. However, there appears to be some discrepancy regarding the timing of the economic impact analysis provided to New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte. While Ayotte stated that DHS provided the documents to her office on Thursday, February 13th, ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, testified before a Senate hearing on the same day that DHS had already discussed the project with the governor and supplied an “economic impact summary.”

The surge in ICE hiring, as noted in the documents, is directly linked to the need for increased detention space. The agency is actively recruiting personnel to staff the new facilities and manage the anticipated rise in arrests. This expansion of enforcement capacity is a key component of the Trump administration’s broader immigration policy, which has focused on aggressive border enforcement and increased deportations.

The administration’s strategy has also involved legal maneuvering, including the declaration of a state of “invasion” and the invocation of emergency powers to expedite the deportation of individuals accused of gang affiliation, particularly members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The revocation of temporary legal status for immigrants fleeing violence and instability in countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has contributed to the growing number of individuals subject to deportation.

The implementation of this $38.3 billion plan will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for the immigration system and the lives of countless individuals. The shift towards large-scale, centralized detention facilities raises questions about the balance between security concerns and the fundamental rights of those in ICE custody. As the administration moves forward with its ambitious plan, scrutiny from advocacy groups, legal experts, and the public will likely intensify.

The move also comes at a time of potential instability for the Department of Homeland Security itself, with a recent funding bill failing in the Senate, raising the specter of a government shutdown. The ability to fully implement this massive detention expansion plan could be jeopardized if DHS faces significant budgetary constraints.