Increased detention facilities operations observed in private prisons and local jails, due to capacity exceeding in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers.

Cracking Down: Skyrocketing Immigration Detention under Trump's Administration

The Ramp-Up

The federal government currently confines more than 48,000 migrants in immigration detention centers, marking a 20% increase since January. This number is not only far beyond the funding allocated for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but it also falls short of President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan's ambition for a staggering 100,000 individuals in detention [1][2].

Private Sector Collaboration

Nearly 90% of these detainees are housed in facilities run by private, for-profit companies, such as Geo Group and CoreCivic. To meet the administration's demands, these corporations are working tirelessly to boost their capacity. Before Trump's reinstatement in January, a GEO Group spokesperson announced an investment of $70 million towards housing, monitoring, and transporting immigrant detainees [3].

Since then, these companies have added over 6,000 beds across the nation, opening old facilities in states like Texas, Ohio, Nevada, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Michigan [3]. Some examples include GEO Group's Delaney Hall facility in Newark, N.J., and various idle facilities being prepared by CoreCivic for quick availability [3]. However, some communities have opposed these revitalization plans strongly [3].

Subpar Conditions and Criticism

Immigrant rights activists have raised concerns about the living conditions in private detention centers. Laura St. John, legal director at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Arizona, states, "A for-profit company is trying to make money on this whole process. And that means that if there’s any place where they can save money, they're going to" [3]. St. John's clients, primarily held at CoreCivic facilities, have reported experiences of deteriorating conditions, including medical neglect, and insufficient food [3].

In response to these allegations, CoreCivic spokesperson Brian Todd refuted them, affirming that the company complies with all ICE standards [3]. Meanwhile, GEO Group spokesperson Christopher Ferreira described the criticism of private contractors as baseless and part of a politically motivated campaign against ICE and federal immigration detention [5].

Scrutiny of Oversight Agencies

In March, the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to the agencies responsible for overseeing immigration detention facilities, potentially leaving them vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment [5].

Involvement of Local Law Enforcement

Local police departments, particularly county sheriffs, are also playing an enlarged role in immigration detention and enforcement, partaking in the federal 287g program, which allows for partnership with ICE [2]. Through this program, over 600 law enforcement agencies in 40 states collaborate with ICE, representing a five-fold increase compared to the end of 2024 [2].

Financial Investments

ICE's detention is currently funded at $3.4 billion; however, lawmakers in Congress have proposed a more substantial budget increase of over tenfold, allocating $45 billion for ICE detention, a figure that the bill passed in late May now heads to the Senate [6]. However, detention is not the end goal; deportation is.

"What they want is to be detaining people for as little time as possible and detaining the lowest number of people necessary to conduct these mass deportations," notes Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute [6]. As the administration pushes to meet its deportation goals, the sweeping changes may endanger the rights and safety of many in and outside the country.

Sources:[1] NPR[2] The Washington Post[3] The Guardian[4] CNN[5] The Atlantic[6] Politico

Despite the current detention of over 48,000 migrants in immigration facilities, which marks a 20% increase since January, the government's funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) falls short of President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan's, ambition for a 100,000-person detention capacity.
In order to meet the administration's demands and housed nearly 90% of these detainees, private, for-profit companies like Geo Group and CoreCivic have been investing greatly in their facilities, adding over 6,000 beds across the nation and opening old facilities in various states.
As a result of these detention facility expansions and the subpar living conditions reported by immigrant rights activists, some communities have vehemently opposed these revitalization plans.