Overview

• On August 17, ICE began operations at Fort Bliss in Texas with an initial 1,000-bed facility that can scale to 5,000 beds under a $1.2 billion Pentagon contract.
• Internal ICE documents outline plans to open or expand about 125 facilities nationwide to push total detention capacity above 100,000 by January.
• The detention population has reached a record 59,000–60,000, and daily deportations have surged to roughly 1,400 according to DHS figures.
• A $45 billion congressional appropriation and new DoD and private-prison contracts fuel a logistical ramp-up that includes hiring up to 10,000 additional ICE officers.
• The rapid build-out faces lawsuits, congressional oversight concerns, local opposition and logistical bottlenecks in staffing, bed space and removal flights.