News
ICE wasted millions expanding detention without a plan in Trump push for mass deportation
ICE wasted millions expanding detention without a plan in Trump push for mass deportation. Originally published by Arizona Mirror.
By Ariana Figueroa · 2026-09-24T19:20:40.352Z
The watchtower of CoreCivic’s former Prairie Correctional Facility, in Appleton, Minn., which will now be used as an ICE detention center, on Aug. 20, 2026. Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer WASHINGTON — Government investigators Thursday released a report that found the Department of Homeland Security wasted more than $20 million in federal funding in its rapid expansion of immigration detention, including warehouse purchases strongly opposed in numerous U.S. communities. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that millions were wasted https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao 26 108663.pdf because DHS began expanding detention operations without putting a plan in place to meet U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s goal of detaining up to 100,000 immigrants. As the second Trump administration aims to deport 1 million immigrants a year, DHS has rapidly increased the numbers of people in immigration detention after congressional Republicans last year approved roughly $175 billion for immigration enforcement. “As ICE spends the unprecedented multi year detention funding provided by the One Big Beautiful Act and the Secure America Act, it is critical that the agency uses these taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively,” according to the report by the watchdog agency. “In the absence of a comprehensive strategic plan to guide detention expansion, ICE has wasted funds on unsuccessful detention initiatives and lacks important information about the long term affordability of its investments.” Tents assembled, never used In the report, GAO found those detention expansion efforts wasted millions by using facilities that were high in cost or impractical, such as Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, which is so remote that water needs to be imported to the base, making it a costly operation. Inspectors with the Department of Defense and Department of State estimated that DOD spent $2.85 million to assemble tents that were never used and that ICE obligated $43 million from the start of fiscal year 2025 to June 30, 2026 for a small population at the base. GAO found that 16 noncitizens were held on average daily at Guantanamo in fiscal year 2026. Other efforts that lacked proper planning also included domestic military operations, such as the soft sided facility, Camp East Montana, built on a military base in El Paso, Texas. GAO previously reported https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/06/09/repub/gao finds millions of dollars wasted safety and security at risk in texas detention center/ that ICE wasted more than $11 million in taxpayer funds in operating Camp East Montana, such as paying for meals when detainees had not yet arrived at the facility. Investigators noted that ICE had awarded another contract in March for Camp East Montana and “as of August 2026 had not yet incorporated these cost saving measures into the contract and continued to pay for services that it did not need.” Warehouses cost more than $1B Investigators also examined the purchase of 11 warehouses at $1.07 billion for the purpose of immigration detention. The initiative was initially undertaken by former Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem, but she stepped down following the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis who were shot by immigration officials. Her replacement, former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, paused the warehouse effort. DHS now plans to sell seven of the sites that were purchased. Investigators said the department’s change of course has led to nonrecoverable costs, such as $7.7 million spent in zoning assessments and title insurance. Additionally, ICE is still paying for utilities, security and other services at the warehouses it intends to sell, costing approximately $12.8 million as of last month. Investigators also warned that ICE’s separate move to purchase $1.5 billion in existing detention facilities has the potential to waste money because the agency has not assessed any long term costs of operating the facilities. And GAO notes that while ICE did not have an agreement with the state of Florida to reimburse funds for its soft sided facility, the now shuttered “Alligator Alcatraz,” https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/25/desantis hails alligator alcatraz as victory while confirming its shutdown/ DHS used funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to award $608.4 million to the state. No idea of long term cost Investigators also raised concerns that ICE has not made an assessment for the long term cost of operating the expanded detention facilities. “ICE has not projected the costs of these facilities beyond the first 3 years of operation, after which ICE will no longer have OBBBA and Secure America Act funds available for obligation because these funds are only available through fiscal year 2029,” according to the report. Investigators made a recommendation that the Director of ICE “should develop a comprehensive strategic plan to guide its detention expansion efforts that includes goals, activities, and resource needs.” GAO reported that the department agreed and that ICE would develop a strategic plan for its detention expansion, but that plan will not be completed until Aug. 31, 2027. “Given ICE’s unprecedented multi year detention funding and the potential for continued waste of taxpayer dollars, more timely completion may be warranted,” according to the report. Congressional Democrats requested that GAO do the study. Those lawmakers include Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, ranking member on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Dick Durbin of Illinois, ranking member on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, ranking member on the House Committee on Homeland Security.