Overview
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin paused broad warehouse purchases and limited the conversion program to up to seven sites after reviewing the Trump administration’s detention buildout.
- ICE officials discussed contracts for construction and operations at warehouses in San Antonio and near El Paso, and the agency is preparing environmental assessments that aim to open both Texas facilities by early 2027.
- An internal memo described staff exploring what work could continue at a Hagerstown, Maryland warehouse despite a judge’s injunction that flagged basic capacity issues such as too few toilets and water fountains for the planned headcount.
- The DHS inspector general opened an investigation into whether ICE bought properties cost‑effectively after reports of above‑market deals, including $66 million for a San Antonio site valued at $37 million and $145 million for a Utah building valued at $97 million.
- Mullin is also rethinking Kristi Noem’s push for state‑run detention sites and her office’s hands‑on review of contracts over $100,000, as local officials decry opaque purchases, states press environmental lawsuits, and critics warn the setup risks favoritism.