ICE Detention Facilities Across U.S. Surge Despite National Dip

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While the overall national ICE detention population saw a slight decline, a closer look at individual facilities reveals a different story. Across the country, detention centers are growing rapidly, with some new centers holding hundreds or even thousands of people just months after opening. Other existing facilities have also surged to new record highs since the start of 2026, expanding ICE's detention footprint into communities that previously had little exposure to immigrant detention.

Why it matters

The uneven growth of ICE detention facilities, with some spiking in population while the national number dips, suggests the detention system is still expanding aggressively, even if the top-line figures don't show it. This expansion is reaching into new regions and states, building out a nationwide detention network that could have significant local impacts on communities.

The details

The data shows several facilities that have seen dramatic spikes in recent months, including the California City Immigration Processing Center in California, which grew from around 400 detainees to over 1,500, and the Folkston D Ray ICE Processing Center in Georgia, which climbed from near-zero to over 1,300 detainees. Other facilities like the Diamondback Correctional Facility in Oklahoma and the McCook Detention Center in Nebraska effectively did not exist in the detention system just a few weeks ago, but now hold hundreds of detainees. Meanwhile, some long-standing large facilities like the Denver Contract Detention Facility and the North Lake Correctional Facility have reached new record highs in 2026.

• The national ICE detention population declined from a record 70,766 on January 24 to 68,289 on February 7, 2026.
• Many individual facilities have seen sharp population spikes in just the past few months.

What they’re saying

What’s next

DetentionReports.com plans to continue updating its facility-level data as new ICE information is released, providing a more granular view of the detention system's expansion across the country.