DHS Pauses New Immigrant Warehouse Purchases Amid Review of Noem-Era Contracts

The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing all contracts signed under former Secretary Kristi Noem as the new administration takes over.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 2:11am

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The Department of Homeland Security is pausing plans to purchase new warehouses for immigrant detention as it scrutinizes all contracts signed under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The move comes as the new Homeland Security Secretary, Markwayne Mullin, takes office and aims to work more closely with community leaders on immigration enforcement policies.

Why it matters

The warehouse purchase plan was a key part of the Trump administration's push to dramatically increase immigrant detention capacity, which faced intense local opposition in many communities. The pause signals a shift in approach under the new DHS leadership.

The details

Under the previous plan, DHS was seeking to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds by acquiring eight large-scale detention centers and 16 smaller regional processing centers. So far, 11 warehouses have been purchased at a cost of $1.074 billion, but lawsuits are pending in several states and the capacity of at least one facility has been scaled back.

  • The pause in new warehouse purchases was announced shortly after Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as the new Homeland Security Secretary on April 1, 2026.

The players

Markwayne Mullin

The new Homeland Security Secretary who has pledged to work more closely with community leaders on immigration enforcement policies.

Kristi Noem

The former Homeland Security Secretary under whose tenure the controversial warehouse purchase plan was developed.

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What they’re saying

“We've got to protect the homeland and we're going to do that. But obviously we want to work with community leaders.”

— Markwayne Mullin, Homeland Security Secretary

What’s next

The Department of Homeland Security says it is reviewing all agency policies and proposals as part of the transition to the new administration.

The takeaway

The pause in new immigrant detention warehouse purchases signals a shift in approach under the Biden administration, which aims to work more collaboratively with local communities on immigration enforcement issues compared to the previous administration's more aggressive tactics.