Watchdog Says ICE Spent Millions on Poorly Planned Detention Projects
Reviewers said ICE made poorly justified purchases and plans as the agency spent tens of millions on detention projects.
- On Thursday, the Government Accountability Office reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wasted tens of millions of dollars pursuing ill-conceived plans to rapidly increase detention capacity since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025.
- Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem backed an initiative purchasing 11 large warehouses for $1.07 billion earlier this year, yet ICE scrapped the plan amid public opposition before housing any detainees because officials lacked "appropriate due diligence and planning."
- Mismanaged initiatives include nearly $3 million spent on unused tents at Guantanamo Bay and excessive rates paid to the deficient Florida facility nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," costing $249 per detainee daily—171% higher than ICE's normal $92 rate.
- Despite receiving an unprecedented $45 billion for detention expansion last year, ICE still lacks a comprehensive strategic plan to manage these funds, risking further inefficiency and wasted resources as the agency continues facing high costs.
- The Department of Homeland Security told the GAO it would develop a plan to guide detention expansion by August 31, 2027, though investigators warned this timeline may be too late to prevent additional wasteful spending.
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35 Articles
Iowa Capital Dispatch
Millions of dollars of waste found in Trump administration push for immigration detention
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 because DHS began expanding detention operations without putting […]
Millions of dollars of waste found in Trump administration's immigration detention push
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.
Millions of dollars of waste found in Trump administration push for immigration detention • Maine Morning Star
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 because DHS began expanding detention operations without putting […]
ICE wasted millions expanding detention without a plan in Trump push for mass deportation
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 opp…
LancasterOnline
Independent EspañolThe U.S. Immigration and Customs Control Service (ICE) and other agencies have wasted tens of millions of dollars in pushing forward poorly designed plans to quickly increase their detention capacity,...
GAO finds ICE 'wasted' millions of dollars in deportation push
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