Migrants and asylum seekers from Mauritania wait to be picked up and processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument along the U.S.-Mexico border about a mile west of Lukeville on Dec. 4, 2023.
Washington D.C. – The Trump administration is seeking up to $45 billion over the next two years to massively scale up the U.S. immigrant detention system—an unprecedented move that could reshape immigration enforcement nationwide. The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) posted a sprawling request for proposals last week, inviting contractors to supply detention facilities, transport services, guards, and medical support on a scale never before seen.
While ICE doesn’t currently have this funding, the proposal positions the agency to quickly expand if budget requests are approved. The $45 billion figure represents more than a sixfold increase over the agency’s current $3.4 billion detention budget. It aligns with a broader GOP-backed immigration funding plan that could allocate $175 billion over 10 years for enforcement.
“This is DHS envisioning and getting ready to unroll—if it gets the money—an entirely new way of imprisoning immigrants in the U.S.,” said Heidi Altman of the National Immigration Law Center.
The request includes a provision allowing the Department of Defense to use its own funds for detention operations, opening the door for military-run facilities. While past administrations used military bases for temporary overflow, the Trump team appears to be planning a permanent, nationwide network of detention sites.
ICE’s population already exceeds capacity, with 47,900 people in custody as of late March, despite a budget for only 41,500. A recent emergency appropriation added $500 million to ICE’s $10 billion budget—but that fell short of the $2 billion the agency sought to maintain current operations.
The new contracts would bypass traditional oversight. Instead of following ICE’s usual standards, facilities could operate under looser guidelines used in local jails, raising alarm about detainee care and rights. Even existing standards have led to inspections revealing poor sanitation, lack of medical care, and deaths.
“This is about privatizing oversight and reducing accountability,” said former DHS official Deborah Fleischaker. “They’re paying more for less protection.”
Private prison companies like CoreCivic and Geo Group are expected to benefit significantly. CoreCivic recently signed a five-year, $246 million deal to reopen a Texas facility. Geo secured a 15-year, $1 billion contract for a New Jersey site.
Industry analysts say the plan signals a major payday for detention contractors—and a dramatic shift in immigration enforcement.
