Original Date Announced

NBC reports that the Trump administration may buy warehouses and retrofit them as immigration-detention facilities. This would significantly expand detention capacity, as these warehouses are "on average more than twice the size of current ICE detention facilities." ICE has not determined specific warehouses but is considering those near airports in the southern U.S. DHS and White House officials said that use of warehouses would "increase efficiency" as immigrants are most often deported from these airports.

Trump 2.0 [ID #2070]

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.12.18 Reported: ICE Plans Detention Expansion With Deal to Design 'Mega Centers' - Bloomberg News

Bloomberg News reports that the Trump administration is planning on using up to two dozen warehouse-style "mega centers" nationwide, with the largest sites holding 5,000 or more people. To that end, ICE has issued a $29.9 million no-bid design contract to Kpb Services LLC, a company with no previous government work, on November 28 for “due diligence services and concept design for processing centers and mega centers throughout the United States.” Two people familiar with the matter have stated that the contract is part of the effort to use existing warehouses for immigration detention.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2025.12.24 Reported: ICE documents reveal plan to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses - The Washington Post

The Washington Post reports that the Trump administration is seeking contractors to overhaul the U.S. immigration detention system by converting industrial warehouses into large-scale detention centers capable of holding more than 80,000 people, according to a draft ICE solicitation reviewed by the Post. The plan would create a "feeder system" in which detainees are briefly processed, then sent to massive warehouses near logistics hubs in states including Texas, Arizona, and Georgia to speed deportations.

Commercial real estate experts indicated numerous potential issues with using warehouses for human habitation regarding climate control, plumbing, and sanitation. ICE indicated in the draft solicitation that it intended to heavily modify the facilities, including to facilitate family detention.

The Post also indicates that Kpb Services LLC, which Bloomberg News previously reported had entered a no-bid contract with ICE for due diligence services and processing centers, has withdrawn from the contract at the direction of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, a Native American tribe with which the business is associated.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.01.30 Reported: Virginia Warehouse Sale to ICE Won’t Proceed - AP

The Associated Press (AP) reports that Jim Pattison Developments, a Canadian company, will no longer sell Virginia warehouse property to DHS. DHS had sought to purchase the site as an ICE "holding and processing" facility. The pending sale was then subject to intense criticism after escalated DHS immigration enforcement, particularly in Minneapolis. Canadian companies in business with Pattison had suspended activity, and protests were planned outside Pattison headquarters.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.04 Senator Wicker - Proposed ICE Facility Threatens Byhalia, Mississippi Economy and Infrastructure

Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) wrote to DHS Secretary Noem that he opposes the plan to open an ICE detention facility in Byhalia, Mississippi. According to the letter, DHS is in the "final stages" of acquiring a local warehouse to turn into an 8,500-bed detention center. Sen. Wicker noted that his constituents have "voiced concerns regarding the public safety, medical capacity, and economic impacts" of the facility.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.06 Senator Wicker - DHS to "look elsewhere" for ICE detention facility

Senator Wicker stated in a post on X that Secretary Noem has agreed to "look elsewhere" for the ICE detention facility that it originally intended to open in Byhalia, Mississippi, after his letter of opposition.

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.13 ICE - Detention Reengineering Initiative

New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte disclosed online an ICE white paper called "Detention Reengineering Initiative" (DRI). The document states that ICE will increase detention capacity to 92,600 beds by November 30, 2026, by renovating existing ICE structures. These facilities will include both Regional Processing Centers designed to hold people awaiting transfer or removal for an average of 3-7 days, and Large-Scale Detention Facilities (also referred to as Mega-centers) designed to hold 7,000 to 10,000 people for periods averaging less than 60 days. "ICE plans to activate all facilities by November 30, 2026."

Subsequent Trump and Court Action

2026.02.23 Complaint - Maryland v. Noem

The State of Maryland filed a lawsuit against DHS and ICE to block the conversion of a warehouse into a 1,500-bed immigration-detention facility in Washington County. The complaint alleges that the federal government violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by purchasing the $102 million property and initiating conversion plans without conducting required environmental reviews, seeking public input, or considering reasonable alternatives. Maryland officials argue the project could negatively impact local air quality, traffic, and water systems, noting that existing infrastructure is not designed to accommodate the proposed detainee population. The State asks the court to vacate DHS's decision to purchase the warehouse and enjoin defendants from further implementation. Maryland v. Noem, No. 1:26-cv-00733 (D. Md.).

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