The Trump administration is advancing its immigration enforcement efforts.
According to The Washington Post, as cited by The Latin Times, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking private contractors to convert industrial warehouses into detention facilities with a capacity exceeding 80,000 people.
This proposal represents a shift from the current system, where individuals arrested by ICE are assigned to existing facilities based on available space.
The new approach would centralize detention, sending migrants first to processing sites and then to large warehouse-style facilities while they await deportation.
The plan includes building seven large detention centers, each with a capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 people, and 16 smaller facilities, each holding approximately 1,500 detainees. These centers would be located near major logistics hubs in Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia, and Missouri, according to the Washington Post.
Detention Records Reach New Highs
This announcement coincides with record-high detention levels at ICE, prompting concerns in the United States and abroad.
The increasing number of detainees has renewed scrutiny of compliance with international standards regarding arbitrary detention. The United Nations’ Basic Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment emphasize the need to treat detainees with dignity and to avoid prolonged detention without valid justification.
Under U.S. law, principles of due process and protection against unreasonable detention are enshrined in the Constitution, particularly in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
These amendments require fair procedures and justify detention based only on lawful grounds. Highlighting the overlap and sometimes conflict between international obligations and domestic laws can sharpen the accountability angle of this critique.
According to The Guardian, ICE held over 68,400 people as of December 14, 2025, setting a new record in its biweekly data.
This number significantly exceeds the legal bed capacity of 34,000 set by Congress and highlights a growing trend of overcrowding compared to previous administrations. The bed capacity is a statutory limit created by Congress and enforced through appropriations language. It is intended to cap the number of detention beds that can be funded with federal allocations to maintain oversight and control over detention conditions and spending. Exceeding this limit is unusual and contentious, as it implies stepping outside the bounds set by Congress and challenges the intended fiscal restraint.
Under U.S. law, unlawful presence is a civil, rather than a criminal, offense. Many detainees are held only for immigration violations, such as unauthorized entry or visa overstays. While criminal offenses can lead to imprisonment and a permanent criminal record, civil violations primarily result in detention and deportation without a criminal record. This distinction highlights a critical aspect of U.S. immigration policy, prompting questions about the proportionality of using detention for civil violations.
The recent record in detention numbers underscores the need to reassess the administration’s official narrative. Since January 2025, ICE has arrested over 328,000 people and deported nearly 327,000, according to the agency.
Axios reports that nearly 579,000 people have been arrested by the Department of Homeland Security since President Donald Trump began his current term. Arrests accelerated after the administration increased daily enforcement targets earlier this year.
On December 3, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that daily arrests had averaged about 1,800 in recent weeks. The department has not released comprehensive data for this period.
The majority of Detainees Lack Criminal Record
Although the administration states it is targeting “the worst of the worst,” The Guardian reports that most individuals in ICE custody have no criminal record. Consider the story of Luis, a 27-year-old father who has lived in the United States since childhood and has no criminal record. He was detained on his way to work, leaving his two young children in limbo. Such personal stories bring to light the human side of these statistics, underscoring the impact on families and communities.
CBS News reports a sharp increase in arrests of individuals with no criminal history. Since the start of Donald Trump’s second term, the number of detainees without charges or convictions has risen by over 2,000 percent. By mid-November, nearly half of those held by ICE had no criminal record in the United States.
Immigration violations such as unlawful entry or visa overstays are civil matters under U.S. law. Many detainees are held solely for these reasons.
The proposal to convert industrial warehouses into detention centers has raised concerns about the conditions migrants would face. Immigrant rights organizations have already criticized existing facilities, many of which are operated by private companies such as GEO Group and CoreCivic.
Advocates warn that repurposed warehouses could further worsen living conditions. These structures, designed for storage, may lack adequate sanitation, medical services, and recreational space required for prolonged detention.
A More Restrictive Immigration Policy
The warehouse detention plan is part of a broader Trump administration strategy to significantly restrict both legal and undocumented immigration. In recent months, the government has suspended the diversity visa lottery, expanded travel restrictions, and intensified enforcement operations nationwide. This strategy reflects an ongoing cohesive policy approach that builds upon the foundation of earlier travel bans and heightened border security measures. Such actions not only underline a commitment to altering the immigration landscape but also demonstrate a deliberate shift towards a more stringent immigration enforcement philosophy. These actions follow earlier executive measures, revealing a consistent pattern in immigration policy. Since taking office, the administration has raised daily arrest quotas, imposed travel bans on several predominantly Muslim countries, and expanded border enforcement programs. Collectively, these steps indicate a systematic approach to reducing the number of immigrants in the United States by establishing a much stricter immigration framework.
The Haitian community, which is particularly affected by these policies, views the announcement of mega-detention centers as an additional concern. Haiti is among the countries whose nationals face increased scrutiny, especially after the designation of the Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.
Migrant rights advocates denounce what they describe as the increasing criminalization of immigration, often implemented without adequate consideration of individual circumstances or migrants’ connections to U.S. communities.
With a projected capacity of 80,000 detention beds, the scale of this plan reflects the administration’s intention to maintain high levels of arrests and deportations, reshaping the U.S. immigration landscape for years to come.
