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

The Department of Homeland Security is scrutinizing all contracts signed under former Secretary Kristi Noem.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 7:18am

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The Department of Homeland Security is pausing the purchase of new warehouses intended to house immigrants as it reviews all contracts signed during the tenure of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The move comes as new Secretary Markwayne Mullin takes over the department, which was central to the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda.

Why it matters

The warehouse purchase plan was controversial, facing intense opposition from residents and communities who objected to having large ICE detention facilities in their neighborhoods. The pause in new purchases signals a potential shift in DHS priorities under the new leadership.

The details

The Department of Homeland Security is scrutinizing all contracts signed under former Secretary Kristi Noem, including purchases of warehouses intended to house immigrants. The official plan was to boost detention capacity to 92,000 beds by acquiring eight large-scale detention centers and 16 smaller regional processing centers, but the plan faced significant backlash. So far, 11 warehouses have been purchased in several states, but lawsuits are pending in three of them and the capacity of at least one warehouse has been scaled back.

  • The pause in new warehouse purchases was announced just days after Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as the new Homeland Security Secretary on April 1, 2026.
  • The warehouse purchase plan was hatched during Kristi Noem's tenure as Homeland Security Secretary.

The players

Markwayne Mullin

The new Homeland Security Secretary who took over the department from Kristi Noem.

Kristi Noem

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

Department of Homeland Security

The federal agency that is pausing new warehouse purchases and reviewing contracts signed under the previous administration.

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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

“One thing I do know is construction. So, it's important that we're talking to the communities and if we're having additional needs, we can work with the cities.”

— Markwayne Mullin, Homeland Security Secretary

What’s next

The Department of Homeland Security is reviewing all warehouse contracts signed under the previous administration, including those that have already been purchased. The fate of the existing 11 warehouses and the overall detention capacity expansion plan remains uncertain under the new leadership.

The takeaway

The pause in new immigrant detention warehouse purchases signals a potential shift in priorities at the Department of Homeland Security under the new leadership, which has pledged to work more closely with community leaders on immigration enforcement issues that were highly contentious under the previous administration.