The Donald Trump administration is rushing to increase the capacity to house detained migrants and keep pace with the surge in arrests, which has skyrocketed in recent months. To this end, it has turned to the U.S. Navy, thus giving the Armed Forces a new role in its crusade against immigration. According to CNN, the Navy will be responsible for securing contracts to build new detention centers across the country, a task for which the government will allocate $10 billion.
One of the problems the administration has encountered in its deportation campaign is that it lacks space for so many detainees. The latest data published, from September, indicates that there are nearly 60,000 detainees, compared to 38,000 a year ago, and detention centers are at maximum capacity. In fact, overcrowding is one of the causes of the inhumane conditions reported by many detainees, in addition to a long list of deficiencies such as poor hygiene, inadequate food, and mistreatment by center staff.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to double its detention capacity to at least 107,000 beds by January 2026. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has struggled to secure contracts to build new facilities, so it has turned to the Navy’s Supply Systems Command. DHS has been “bouncing from one contract vehicle to another,” a source told CNN, as contract challenges and delays have plagued the department’s efforts. The Department of Defense’s involvement is expected to expedite the process.
The new detention centers will consist primarily of tents, similar to those deployed at the Fort Bliss military base complex in Texas, which began operating in August. Migrants detained there have reported numerous violations of federal regulations, including medical neglect, poor access to legal assistance, and problems with sanitation facilities.
The sources consulted did not specify whether the new centers will be built on existing Navy facilities. Each center has a planned capacity of 10,000 people and will be located in several states: Louisiana, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Utah, and Kansas. Construction on some of the facilities is scheduled to begin next month, one of the sources familiar with the project told CNN.
To facilitate the construction of the new centers, the Navy quietly expanded an existing contracting mechanism in July that had been used primarily to support military operations abroad. It now states that “contractors may be required to provide the infrastructure, personnel, services, and/or supplies necessary to provide safe confinement for aliens in the administrative custody” of DHS and ICE.
When Trump returned to the White House in January, ICE already had one of the largest immigration detention systems in the world, with a capacity for nearly 50,000 people. The magnate immediately announced his intention to double that number. The money will come from an unprecedented $45 billion allocation for the immigration crackdown, approved by Congress as part of the Republican’s tax reform.
The lack of beds in ICE centers, which have been overwhelmed since Trump returned to the presidency with his promise of the largest deportation in history, has led the agency to also use local jails to detain migrants. Furthermore, closed prisons have reopened.
Private prisons
The need to increase detention center capacity has produced two winners so far: CoreCivic and GEO Group, the two largest private prison companies in the U.S. CoreCivic reported revenue of $538.2 million in the second quarter of the year, an increase of nearly 10% compared to the same period in 2024. GEO Group, the largest ICE contractor, reported revenue of $636.2 million, a 5% increase compared to last year.
Companies have signed contracts with the federal government to add additional beds to existing detention centers, in addition to signing new contracts to reopen dormant facilities. The centers, which were supposed to house criminals, have instead been filled with migrants with no criminal record.
The conditions in which migrants are held have been the subject of complaints from both detainees and human rights organizations. So far this year, there have been more than 20 deaths of people in ICE custody. Lack of access to medication, medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, malnutrition, and the denial of rights such as access to counsel have been constant experiences reported by detainees.
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