ICE Quietly Buys Warehouses for Detention Centers Across U.S.

Local officials left out of the loop as agency expands detention capacity to 92,000 beds

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been quietly purchasing warehouses across the U.S. to transform into detention centers, leaving local officials in the dark about the plans. At least 20 communities have become targets for ICE's $45 billion expansion of detention facilities, with the agency buying or leasing large warehouses in states like Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The process has been chaotic, with some cities only learning about the plans through media reports or activist spreadsheets. ICE has confirmed it is looking to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds, nearly doubling the current number of detainees.

Why it matters

The rapid expansion of ICE detention centers has sparked backlash in many communities, with local officials raising concerns about the facilities overwhelming infrastructure, reducing tax revenue, and detaining "innocent people" in what some see as an inhumane "dragnet." The lack of transparency from ICE has also fueled frustration, with mayors, county commissioners, and members of Congress often learning about the plans only after the properties have already been purchased.

The details

ICE has purchased at least seven warehouses in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas, with other deals in the works. The warehouses are massive, with one in Socorro, Texas large enough to fit 4.5 Walmart Supercenters. Local officials in these communities, even those that supported President Trump, have been caught off guard by the plans and have raised concerns about the facilities straining water, sewage, and other services, as well as the loss of local tax revenue.

  • Since Trump took office in 2017, the number of people detained by ICE has increased from 40,000 to 75,000.
  • In February 2026, the governor's office in New Hampshire released a document showing ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds.

The players

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

A federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that is responsible for enforcing immigration laws and detaining undocumented immigrants.

Rudy Cruz Jr.

The mayor of Socorro, Texas, a town where ICE has purchased three large warehouses to transform into a detention center.

Christian Leinbach

A commissioner in Berks County, Pennsylvania, who was caught off guard when he learned ICE had purchased a warehouse in his county.

Kris Mayes

The Democratic Attorney General of Arizona, who raised the prospect of going to court to have an ICE detention facility in Surprise, Arizona declared a public nuisance.

Eduardo Castillo

A former attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice who told Socorro officials that challenging the federal government over the ICE detention facility is "intimidating but not impossible."

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What they’re saying

“Nobody from the federal government bothered to pick up the phone or even send us any type of correspondence letting us know what's about to take place.”

— Rudy Cruz Jr., Mayor of Socorro, Texas (kcra.com)

“I think a lot of innocent people are getting caught up in their dragnet.”

— Jorge Mendoza, El Paso County retiree (kcra.com)

“To be clear, the City has repeatedly communicated that it does not have the capacity or resources to accommodate this demand, and no proposal presented to date has demonstrated otherwise.”

— Social Circle, Georgia (kcra.com)

What’s next

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has raised the prospect of going to court to have the ICE detention facility in Surprise, Arizona declared a public nuisance.

The takeaway

The rapid and secretive expansion of ICE detention centers across the U.S. has sparked widespread backlash from local communities, who feel left out of the process and concerned about the strain these facilities will place on their infrastructure and resources. This highlights the tension between the federal government's immigration enforcement priorities and the needs and concerns of the local jurisdictions where these detention centers are being established.