Data Tracker — Updated March 25, 2026
ICE Detention Expansion
Facility Register
73%
of stated 100K goal — but true target is 135K beds by FY2029
68,289 detained · TRAC Feb 7, 2026 · AIC: 135K beds funded through FY2029
1.8%
of $38.3B warehouse budget spent
$700M of $38.3B deployed · 9 of 24 sites purchased · AIC Feb 2026
225 + 24
active + confirmed conversions in pipeline
225 operating / 249 total confirmed · ICE FY2026 + AIC
+7%
more removals than Biden's last full year — despite 13× the funding
290,603 total removals FY2025+FY2026 YTD vs. Biden FY2024 · TRAC
23
deaths in ICE custody since Oct 2025
Deadliest fiscal year since 2004 · includes first homicide in modern ICE detention · NPR Mar 10, 2026
⚠ Mega Center Expansion
ICE is building 8 mega detention centers — each holding up to 10,000 people.
Larger than any federal prison. Larger than Guantánamo. Five locations still unknown.
Larger than any federal prison. Larger than Guantánamo. Five locations still unknown.
"ICE Detention Reengineering Initiative" · Target completion Sep 30, 2026 · AIC Feb 2026 · Washington Post Feb 2026
Confirmed sites: Social Circle GA · Socorro TX · Tremont PA · Five sites not publicly disclosed.
Total planned capacity across all 8 mega centers: 60,000–80,000 people
Confirmed sites: Social Circle GA · Socorro TX · Tremont PA · Five sites not publicly disclosed.
Total planned capacity across all 8 mega centers: 60,000–80,000 people
8Planned
3Purchased
5Unknown
⚑ The question the numbers raise — why build more?
73% to 100K. So why are 24 more facilities being built — including 8 mega centers?
Because 100,000 is not the real target. The "One Big Beautiful Bill" funds ICE to operate upwards of 135,000 detention beds through the end of FY2029 — not 100,000. 100K is the near-term floor, not the ceiling. Sources: AIC Feb 2026 · Brennan Center
And because 73% of the goal is rented. ICE currently owns just 10 of 225 facilities. The rest are contracted from CoreCivic, GEO Group, and county jails. The warehouse program is about owning the infrastructure — removing dependency on private contractors, avoiding local oversight, and potentially claiming federal immunity from zoning and environmental laws. Sources: AIC Feb 2026 · Brennan Center
And because 73% of the goal is rented. ICE currently owns just 10 of 225 facilities. The rest are contracted from CoreCivic, GEO Group, and county jails. The warehouse program is about owning the infrastructure — removing dependency on private contractors, avoiding local oversight, and potentially claiming federal immunity from zoning and environmental laws. Sources: AIC Feb 2026 · Brennan Center
The ownership math:
ICE owns: 10 facilities
ICE contracts: 215 facilities
ICE warehouse target: 24 owned conversions
The shift from contracting to ownership is the structural story under the numbers. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons described the goal as "Amazon Prime, but with human beings" — centralized, government-owned, high-volume processing.
What this means in practice: When ICE owns the facility, it controls the terms. Private contractors can be pressured by investors, state laws, community opposition, and public accountability. A government-owned warehouse in a remote logistics corridor has none of those friction points. The warehouse program is not just expansion — it is insulation from accountability.
Separately: are deportations actually increasing? Despite 13× normal funding and a near-doubling of the detained population, total removals under Trump's second term are only 7% higher than Biden's last full year. TRAC, Mar 2026
ICE owns: 10 facilities
ICE contracts: 215 facilities
ICE warehouse target: 24 owned conversions
The shift from contracting to ownership is the structural story under the numbers. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons described the goal as "Amazon Prime, but with human beings" — centralized, government-owned, high-volume processing.
What this means in practice: When ICE owns the facility, it controls the terms. Private contractors can be pressured by investors, state laws, community opposition, and public accountability. A government-owned warehouse in a remote logistics corridor has none of those friction points. The warehouse program is not just expansion — it is insulation from accountability.
Separately: are deportations actually increasing? Despite 13× normal funding and a near-doubling of the detained population, total removals under Trump's second term are only 7% higher than Biden's last full year. TRAC, Mar 2026
$ Who profits from detention — and by how much
$254M
GEO Group profit — 2025
~700% increase over 2024 · "Most successful year for new business wins in our company's history" — GEO Chairman George Zoley · Common Dreams Feb 2026 · Scripps Feb 2026
$116.5M
CoreCivic profit — 2025
+70% year over year · ICE revenue more than doubled in Q4 2025 alone: $244.7M vs. $120.3M prior year · "Our business is perfectly aligned with the demands of this moment" — CoreCivic CEO · The Appeal Feb 2026
58%
of all ICE detainees held by GEO + CoreCivic
GEO projects $2.9–3.1B revenue for 2026 · ICE contracts = ~50% of GEO's projected revenue · For CoreCivic, ICE = 40% of Q4 2024 revenue · Stocktwits / Bloomberg Mar 2026
Private investors on CoreCivic's Q4 2025 earnings call: "One of the big questions has been the pace of detention by ICE, that it's been below what investors thought it was going to be. I think people thought we'd be at that 100,000 level. We're at a little over 70,000." — Joseph Gomes, NOBLE Capital Markets, Inc. · The Appeal Feb 2026
Political giving: GEO Group and CoreCivic spent $1.38M and $1.77M respectively lobbying Congress in 2024, focused on DHS appropriations. Both companies' stocks rose 56% and 73% respectively after Trump's 2024 election win. · CREW Jul 2025 · OpenSecrets Apr 2025
Note on the warehouse shift: GEO Group and CoreCivic stocks fell sharply in March 2026 on reports that ICE plans to shift to government-owned warehouse facilities, reducing its reliance on private contractors. The warehouse program may ultimately cut private prison revenues even as it expands total detention capacity. · Stocktwits Mar 2026
Political giving: GEO Group and CoreCivic spent $1.38M and $1.77M respectively lobbying Congress in 2024, focused on DHS appropriations. Both companies' stocks rose 56% and 73% respectively after Trump's 2024 election win. · CREW Jul 2025 · OpenSecrets Apr 2025
Note on the warehouse shift: GEO Group and CoreCivic stocks fell sharply in March 2026 on reports that ICE plans to shift to government-owned warehouse facilities, reducing its reliance on private contractors. The warehouse program may ultimately cut private prison revenues even as it expands total detention capacity. · Stocktwits Mar 2026
⚑ Case study: "Alligator Alcatraz" — Florida's Everglades detention facility
Built in 8 days in the Florida Everglades. Opened July 1, 2025. Amnesty International concluded conditions constitute torture.
Florida Governor DeSantis seized a Miami-Dade County airfield using emergency powers, bypassed competitive bidding, and issued $360M+ in no-bid contracts — many to politically-connected firms — to build the facility. Trump attended the opening. Wikipedia · Florida Policy Institute
Conditions documented by Amnesty International (Dec 2025): Routine and prolonged use of shackles. Confinement in structures described as 2×2 foot cage-like boxes. No sanitary facilities. No consistent medical care. No access to legal counsel. Detainees held without appearing in ICE's tracking system — making them unfindable by family or attorneys. Amnesty International Dec 2025
Legal status (Mar 2026): Injunction issued, stayed by 11th Circuit pending appeal. Currently operating. A state-commissioned environmental report in March 2026 found air pollutant emissions exceeding regulatory thresholds. Florida has spent more than $1M per day to run the facility — $3M/day in early weeks. The state initially applied for $1.4B in federal reimbursement. Earthjustice Mar 2026 · WUSF Mar 2026
The model being replicated: DHS Secretary Noem called the setup "much better" than current models. The Trump administration is using Alligator Alcatraz as a template for state-federal detention partnerships, with Indiana and Louisiana already following. The Marshall Project Aug 2025
Conditions documented by Amnesty International (Dec 2025): Routine and prolonged use of shackles. Confinement in structures described as 2×2 foot cage-like boxes. No sanitary facilities. No consistent medical care. No access to legal counsel. Detainees held without appearing in ICE's tracking system — making them unfindable by family or attorneys. Amnesty International Dec 2025
Legal status (Mar 2026): Injunction issued, stayed by 11th Circuit pending appeal. Currently operating. A state-commissioned environmental report in March 2026 found air pollutant emissions exceeding regulatory thresholds. Florida has spent more than $1M per day to run the facility — $3M/day in early weeks. The state initially applied for $1.4B in federal reimbursement. Earthjustice Mar 2026 · WUSF Mar 2026
The model being replicated: DHS Secretary Noem called the setup "much better" than current models. The Trump administration is using Alligator Alcatraz as a template for state-federal detention partnerships, with Indiana and Louisiana already following. The Marshall Project Aug 2025
$450M
Estimated annual operating cost
vs. $187 avg daily cost per bed at standard ICE facilities · Florida Policy Institute
3,000
Designed capacity — in tents, in a hurricane zone
Everglades wetlands. No permanent infrastructure. Global Detention Project
$608M
Federal reimbursement awarded to Florida
Full FEMA Detention Support Grant Program · Florida Phoenix Oct 2025
31%
of detainees had final deportation orders on entry
Despite DeSantis's claim that "all" had final orders · NBC6 Investigates Dec 2025
⚑ Guantánamo Bay — attempted, abandoned, status uncertain
Trump announced 30,000 beds at Guantánamo Bay. The facility peaked at fewer than 200 detainees before being emptied.
In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order to expand the Migrant Operations Center at Guantánamo Bay to house 30,000 immigrants. By February 12, 2025, 98 migrants had arrived. The facility peaked at just under 200 detainees. IPTP
Why it failed: The 195 tents erected for migrants did not meet ICE's own detention standards — no air conditioning, inadequate electricity. A water pipeline failure displaced detainees. Legal challenges by the ACLU and others complicated transfers. By March 12, 2025, all remaining migrants — 40 people — had been flown back to Louisiana. Washington Post Mar 2025 · ABC News Mar 2025
The cost: $16 million to stand up a camp that held fewer than 200 people and lasted weeks. Each tent reportedly cost $3.1M to construct — without meeting ICE standards. The average daily cost per detainee at Guantánamo was approximately $100,000 — compared to $165/day in standard ICE detention. NPR Sep 2025
Current status (Mar 2026): The Guantánamo migrant detention operation is effectively suspended pending legal proceedings. The Cuban nationals transferred in late 2025 were the most recent cohort. DOD's Inspector General continues to review the operation. ICE has not ruled out future use. IPTP policy timeline
Why it failed: The 195 tents erected for migrants did not meet ICE's own detention standards — no air conditioning, inadequate electricity. A water pipeline failure displaced detainees. Legal challenges by the ACLU and others complicated transfers. By March 12, 2025, all remaining migrants — 40 people — had been flown back to Louisiana. Washington Post Mar 2025 · ABC News Mar 2025
The cost: $16 million to stand up a camp that held fewer than 200 people and lasted weeks. Each tent reportedly cost $3.1M to construct — without meeting ICE standards. The average daily cost per detainee at Guantánamo was approximately $100,000 — compared to $165/day in standard ICE detention. NPR Sep 2025
Current status (Mar 2026): The Guantánamo migrant detention operation is effectively suspended pending legal proceedings. The Cuban nationals transferred in late 2025 were the most recent cohort. DOD's Inspector General continues to review the operation. ICE has not ruled out future use. IPTP policy timeline
Why it matters for the larger system:
Guantánamo was not a logistical failure — it was a political signal. The administration knew the facility couldn't scale. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), who toured the site, said it was "entirely for optics." ABC News
The same pattern appears in Alligator Alcatraz, the warehouse mega centers, and Camp East Montana: facilities designed to project scale and menace, built before infrastructure exists to operate them safely.
The accountability gap: Migrants transferred to Guantánamo stopped appearing in ICE's public tracking system — making them unfindable. Bond hearings were canceled because immigration judges said they had no jurisdiction. The same disappearance from official data occurs at Alligator Alcatraz. The Marshall Project
Cost comparison:
Guantánamo: ~$100,000/person/day
Alligator Alcatraz: $245/person/day (vs. $187 ICE avg)
Standard ICE detention: $165–187/person/day
Sources: NPR · Florida Policy Institute
Guantánamo was not a logistical failure — it was a political signal. The administration knew the facility couldn't scale. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA), who toured the site, said it was "entirely for optics." ABC News
The same pattern appears in Alligator Alcatraz, the warehouse mega centers, and Camp East Montana: facilities designed to project scale and menace, built before infrastructure exists to operate them safely.
The accountability gap: Migrants transferred to Guantánamo stopped appearing in ICE's public tracking system — making them unfindable. Bond hearings were canceled because immigration judges said they had no jurisdiction. The same disappearance from official data occurs at Alligator Alcatraz. The Marshall Project
Cost comparison:
Guantánamo: ~$100,000/person/day
Alligator Alcatraz: $245/person/day (vs. $187 ICE avg)
Standard ICE detention: $165–187/person/day
Sources: NPR · Florida Policy Institute
⚠ Federal Transparency Failure — Documented
Concealing the detention network. Vera Institute found ICE detained people in 528 facilities in September 2025 but publicly acknowledged only 189 — concealing more than half.
Defying Congress on bi-weekly reporting. Congress mandated regular public release of detention data. Syracuse's Austin Kocher confirmed in January 2026 ICE began withholding the required spreadsheet in direct defiance of law.
Publishing false data as current. TRAC documented ICE releasing ATD figures from 2021 as current and facility statistics two years out of date. USAFacts (Jan 2026) found FY2025 semiannual data zeroed without explanation.
Hiding warehouse purchases from elected officials. NPR (Mar 2026): representatives in Oakwood GA, Baytown TX, and Highland Park MI received zero response from DHS. Courier Newsroom documented ICE using unmarked vehicles and plain-clothes agents to surveil sites covertly.
Silently eliminating data categories. The Feb 3, 2026 data update removed transgender detainee reporting — published throughout the Biden administration — with no notice.
FOIA obstruction as policy. ICE fought court orders to produce anonymized detention data, arguing unique identifiers would be "new records." Second Circuit reversed in 2025. Active FOIA litigation spans dozens of cases. Effective Feb 23, 2026, ICE stopped accepting paper FOIA requests — except from detained individuals, who have the least ability to file electronically.
Removing oversight of pregnant detainees. Brennan Center: Congress required ICE to report detained pregnant women since 2019. The Republican-controlled Congress removed that requirement March 2025. A Biden-era policy limiting detention of pregnant and nursing mothers is no longer in effect.
What you see in this tracker was assembled from FOIA litigation, TRAC analysis, NPR reporting, and independent research. It is not what the government has chosen to tell you.
Why the facility totals below don't reconcile to 68,000+: Named facilities represent the largest known sites where population data exists — roughly 15,000–18,000 of ~68,000 detained. The remaining 50,000+ are across 200+ county jails, private prisons, military sites, and ICE field offices that publish no population data. Full network: Freedom for Immigrants map · Vera Institute dashboard
Largest Known Active Facilities — top sites where data is publicly available (13 of 225+)
| Facility | Location | Type | Owner / Operator | Max Capacity | Current Occupancy | Cost | Status | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp East Montana Fort Bliss |
El Paso, TX | Military Tent Camp | Federal / U.S. Army | 5,000 | 2,954 avg/day TRAC Feb 2026 |
— | Active | TRACBrennan |
| Adams County Correctional Center | Natchez, MS | Private Prison (CDF) | CoreCivic | ~2,500 | 2,200 FFI Feb 2026 |
Undisclosed | Active | FFIMS Today |
| Stewart Detention Center | Lumpkin, GA | Contract Detention Facility | CoreCivic | ~2,000 | 2,000 FFI Feb 2026 |
Undisclosed | Active | FFIVera |
| South Texas ICE Processing Center | Pearsall, TX | Contract Detention Facility | GEO Group | ~1,900 | 1,666 TRAC Feb 2025 — 2026 not published |
Undisclosed | Active | TRAC |
| Krome North Service Processing Center | Miami, FL | ICE-Owned SPC | ICE (Federal) | 611 contractual | 1,806 peak — 3× capacity TRAC FY2025 |
Federal asset | Overcrowded | TRACNPR |
| Folkston ICE Processing Center + Annex + D. Ray facility |
Folkston, GA | Contract Detention Facility | LaSalle Corrections | ~1,600+ | Not published — ICE withholds | Undisclosed | Active | ICE.govVera |
| Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center | Pine Prairie, LA | Contract Detention Facility | GEO Group | ~1,070 contractual | 400+ over capacity TRAC FY2025 |
Undisclosed | Overcrowded | TRAC |
| Adelanto ICE Processing Center | Adelanto, CA | Contract Detention Facility | GEO Group | ~1,940 | Not published — ICE withholds | Undisclosed | Active | Vera |
| Moshannon Valley ICE Processing Center | Philipsburg, PA | Contract Detention Facility | GEO Group | ~1,800 | Not published — ICE withholds | Undisclosed | Active | Vera |
| Florence Staging Facility | Florence, AZ | Service Processing Center | ICE (Federal) | ~1,000 | ~50% of AZ's 60,000+ book-ins NPR Mar 2026 |
Federal asset | Active | NPR |
| Alexandria Staging Facility | Alexandria, LA | Staging / Processing | ICE (Federal) | Not disclosed | 45% of LA's 93,105 book-ins NPR Mar 2026 |
Federal asset | Active | NPR |
| Delaney Hall ICE Detention Facility | Newark, NJ | Contract Detention Facility | GEO Group | ~1,000 | Not published — ICE withholds | Undisclosed | Active | ICE.gov |
| ~212 additional facilities | Nationwide | County jails, private prisons, military, field offices | Mixed — CoreCivic, GEO, LaSalle, county govts | Varies | ~50,000+ combined ICE does not publish |
Not disclosed | Data Withheld | VeraFFI |
| Known Active Totals — partial, named facilities only | ~22,000+known capacity | ~14,820 confirmed + ~50,000 undisclosed | System total: ~68,289 detained Feb 2026 · TRAC · Full data withheld by ICE | |||||
Warehouse Conversion Pipeline — 9 purchased of 24 planned · $700M of $38.3B spent (1.8%)
| Site | Location | Type | Planned Capacity | Purchase Cost | Occupancy | Status | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Circle Warehouse | Social Circle, GA 50 mi from Atlanta | Mega Center | 7,500–10,000 | $129,000,000 | 0 — not open | Purchased | AICBrennan |
| Socorro Warehouse | Socorro, TX El Paso metro | Mega Center | 7,500–8,500 | Undisclosed | 0 — not open | Purchased | AICBloomberg |
| Tremont Warehouse | Tremont, PA Central Pennsylvania | Mega Center | 7,500–10,000 | Undisclosed | 0 — not open | Purchased | AIC |
| Hagerstown Warehouse | Hagerstown, MD | Processing Center | 1,500 | $102,000,000+ | 0 — not open | Purchased | BrennanNPR |
| Surprise Warehouse | Surprise, AZ | Processing Center | 1,500 | $70,000,000 | 0 — not open | Purchased | BrennanNPR |
| Hamburg Warehouse | Hamburg, PA | Processing Center | 1,000–1,500 | Undisclosed | 0 — not open | Purchased | AIC |
| Romulus Warehouse | Romulus, MI | Processing Center | 1,000–1,500 | Undisclosed | 0 — not open | Purchased | AIC |
| San Antonio Warehouse | San Antonio, TX | Processing Center | 1,000–1,500 | Undisclosed | 0 — not open | Purchased | AIC |
| Roxbury Warehouse | Roxbury, NJ | Processing Center | 1,000–1,500 | Undisclosed | 0 — not open | Purchased | AIC |
| Purchased sites — 9 of 24 planned | ~35,000–47,500planned beds, 9 sites | $301M+ confirmedof $38.3B budget · 1.8% deployed | 0currently detained | 15 additional sites unidentified, under negotiation, or blocked | |||
Blocked, Killed, or Stalled Sites — At least 12 purchases stopped by community opposition
| Site | Location | Type | Planned Capacity | Why Blocked | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Warehouse | Chester, NY | Processing Center | Unknown | Deal fell through — 10,000 signatures in town of 12,000 | AIC |
| Lebanon Warehouse | Lebanon, TN | Processing Center | Unknown | Deal fell through after ICE announcement | AIC |
| Hutchins Warehouse | Hutchins, TX | Mega Center | ~7,000+ | Majestic Realty declined after community and city leader pushback | OPB |
| Byhalia Warehouse | Byhalia, MS | Mega Center | 8,500 | Sen. Roger Wicker (R) opposed · DHS agreed to "look elsewhere" | IPTP |
| Oklahoma City Warehouse | Oklahoma City, OK | Processing Center | Unknown | Owner declined after protests and heated city council meeting | Brennan |
| Salt Lake City Warehouse | Salt Lake City, UT | Mega Center | 7,500 | Developer (Ritchie Group) publicly declined: "no plans to sell" | Courier |
| Hanover County Warehouse | Hanover County, VA | Processing Center | Unknown | Owner pulled out after unanimous county Board of Supervisors resolution | IPTP |
| Kansas City Warehouse | Kansas City, MO | Mega Center | 7,000+ | Stalled after county official publicly exposed covert ICE site survey | Courier |
| Blocked / stalled — 8 confirmed, 12+ estimated total | ~37,500+ beds blocked | All currently hold 0 detainees · ICE continues pursuing replacement sites | |||
Primary Sources
AIC — Feb 2026
ICE's Warehouse Purchases Herald New Model for Immigration Detention
americanimmigrationcouncil.org →AIC — Jan 2026
New Report Details ICE's Expanding and Increasingly Unaccountable Detention System
americanimmigrationcouncil.org →FactCheck.org — Jan 28, 2026
As ICE Arrests Increased, a Higher Portion Had No U.S. Criminal Record
factcheck.org →Poynter — Jan 26, 2026
Noem Said Most ICE Detainees Are Violent Criminals. The Data Says Otherwise.
poynter.org →Washington Post — Feb 13, 2026
ICE Plans to Spend $38.3 Billion Turning Warehouses into Detention Centers
washingtonpost.com →Bloomberg — Jan 29, 2026
US Spends Hundreds of Millions on Warehouses for ICE Detention Centers
bloomberg.com →Austin Kocher / Syracuse — Jan 2026
92% of ICE Detention Growth Driven by Immigrants with No Criminal Convictions
austinkocher.substack.com →Freedom for Immigrants
Interactive Detention Map — All 225+ Active Facilities
freedomforimmigrants.org →Immigration Policy Tracking Project
ICE Warehouse Detention Expansion — Policy Timeline
immpolicytracking.org →Scripps News — Feb 17, 2026
ICE Contracts Fuel Revenue Surge for Owners of Private Detention Centers
scrippsnews.com →The Appeal — Feb 18, 2026
Unsatisfied With Record Profits, Private Prison Investors Want ICE to Escalate
theappeal.org →Common Dreams — Feb 2026
GEO Group Reports Record $254M Profit After New ICE Contracts
commondreams.org →CREW — Jul 2025
Trump's Budget Bill Benefits Private Detention Companies That Donated to Trump
citizensforethics.org →OpenSecrets — Apr 2025
Private Prison Companies Positioned to Benefit from Increased Deportations
opensecrets.org →Amnesty International — Dec 2025
Human Rights Violations at "Alligator Alcatraz" and Krome in Florida
amnesty.org →Earthjustice — Mar 2026
Florida Banked on $1.4 Billion in Federal Funds for Everglades Detention Center
earthjustice.org →The Marshall Project — Aug 2025
Florida's Alligator Alcatraz Model Could Soon Come to Your State
themarshallproject.org →NBC6 Investigates — Dec 2025
Secrets of "Alligator Alcatraz" Revealed in Newly Released ICE Data
nbcmiami.com →Washington Post — Mar 12, 2025
Trump Administration Flies All Remaining Guantánamo Migrants Back to U.S.
washingtonpost.com →Disclosures & Methodology
Data Completeness
This tracker covers the largest known active facilities and the confirmed warehouse conversion pipeline. It does not represent all 225+ active ICE facilities. Per-facility population data for most sites is not publicly available — ICE does not publish it. Full network: Freedom for Immigrants map · Vera Institute dashboard.
Population Figures
Detained population figures are snapshots. 73,000 is a single-day peak Jan 16, 2026 (CBS News). 68,289 is TRAC's bi-weekly pull Feb 7, 2026 (TRAC). Neither includes short-term staging, field offices, or courtrooms. Kocher/Syracuse documented 70,766 on Jan 24, 2026 as the highest on public record.
Purchase Costs
Confirmed costs only. Socorro TX, Tremont PA, Hamburg PA, Romulus MI, San Antonio TX, Roxbury NJ costs not disclosed by DHS as of March 25, 2026. $700M total: AIC Feb 2026. $38.3B conversion budget: Washington Post Feb 2026, sourced from ICE internal planning documents.
Mega Center Definition
"Mega center" uses ICE's own internal classification for facilities holding 7,500–10,000 people, from the ICE Detention Reengineering Initiative documents released by New Hampshire, Feb 2026. Plan: 8 mega centers + 16 regional processing centers. Three mega sites purchased; five locations not publicly disclosed.
Who Is Being Detained
Criminal history figures: TRAC (Feb 7, 2026), Cato Institute (Nov 2025), FactCheck.org (Jan 28, 2026), Brennan Center. Cato used nonpublic ICE data leaked to their researchers. "Criminal conviction" excludes pending charges; charges are often dismissed or result in acquittal, including after deportation.
Funding Figures
$45B detention-specific and $85B total ICE funding from the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," July 2025 — AIC, Brennan Center, KPBS/NPR. $3.4B prior annual baseline from Brennan Center's analysis of the most recent pre-bill DHS budget.
Transparency Failure Claims
528 vs. 189 facility gap: Vera Institute. Bi-weekly reporting defiance: Kocher/Syracuse. Erroneous data: TRAC. FOIA obstruction: AIC and NILA. Paper FOIA restriction: ICE.gov, Feb 23, 2026.
True Detention Target: 135K, Not 100K
The 100,000 bed figure is the administration's stated near-term operational goal. The $45B appropriation from the One Big Beautiful Bill funds ICE to operate upwards of 135,000 beds through the end of FY2029. Source: AIC Feb 2026. The 100K figure is a floor; the warehouse program is building toward a larger, owned-infrastructure system independent of private contractors.
Private Prison Profit Figures
GEO Group and CoreCivic profit and revenue figures are from their published 2025 annual earnings reports, as reported by Scripps News, The Appeal, and Common Dreams. Political contribution figures from OpenSecrets and CREW. Stock price figures from CREW (Jul 2025).
Alligator Alcatraz
Facility status as of March 25, 2026: operating, pending 11th Circuit appeal. Cost figures from Florida Policy Institute and WUSF. Federal reimbursement: Florida Phoenix Oct 2025. Conditions: Amnesty International Dec 2025. The 31% final-order figure is from NBC6 Investigates analysis of ICE FOIA data.
Guantánamo Bay
Peak migrant population at Guantánamo Bay was fewer than 200, confirmed by IPTP. All migrants returned to U.S. mainland by March 12, 2025 (Washington Post). $100K daily cost figure from court filings and congressional delegation accounts reported by NPR. The operation's legal status remains unresolved; ICE has not ruled out future transfers. Small numbers of Cuban nationals were transferred in late 2025 (IPTP).
Removal Efficiency
The +7% removal figure compares total removals under Trump's second term (FY2025 + FY2026 YTD = 290,603) to Biden's FY2024 full-year removals, from TRAC, Mar 2026. This figure does not include voluntary departures or returns. TRAC notes the Trump administration continues to conceal most details about enforcement activities and costs.
Last Updated / Live Data
Static document dated March 25, 2026. Will not auto-update. For current population: TRAC Immigration Quick Facts (bi-weekly, when ICE complies). For facility network: Freedom for Immigrants map (monthly). For warehouse tracking: Immigration Policy Tracking Project.