The next phase of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown may look less like a prison network and more like a national warehouse grid. According to a draft government solicitation obtained by the Washington Post, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is exploring contracts to convert industrial warehouses into high-capacity detention centers able to hold more than 80,000 people at once. The blueprint, which follows reports from last month that such a plan was being mulled, envisions a system in which migrants first pass through regional processing hubs, then are routed into seven mega-warehouses holding 5,000 to 10,000 detainees each, plus 16 smaller sites with room for up to 1,500 people apiece.
The large facilities would sit near major logistics hubs in Georgia, Texas, Missouri, Virginia, Louisiana, and Arizona, with the goal of streamlining deportations. The solicitation, which ICE plans to circulate to private detention firms to refine the proposal, describes a business-style overhaul intended to "maximize efficiency, minimize costs, shorten processing times" and "accelerate the removal process." Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has previously likened the desired system to Amazon's logistics network: "Like Prime, but with human beings," he said in April.
The plan would build on a record detention population—more than 68,000 people earlier this month, nearly half without criminal convictions or pending charges—and a year in which the administration says it has deported nearly 580,000 people. Congress has already earmarked roughly $45 billion for detention operations. Critics question both the ethics and practicality of turning bulk-storage buildings into mass housing. Commercial real-estate specialists note that warehouses are typically designed for goods, not residents, often lacking sufficient ventilation, temperature control, and plumbing for thousands of people.
"It's dehumanizing," says Tania Wolf of the National Immigration Project, arguing the setup treats detainees "like cattle." Bloomberg notes that two other large-scale detention facilities, in Texas and Florida, have already received complaints over allegedly inhumane conditions. ICE says it would add showers, medical units, and family housing, but ex-agency officials warn that staffing such complexes with adequately trained and cleared personnel may be the real sticking point. The draft plan sets no firm start date but says each center must be ready to receive detainees within 30 to 60 days after construction begins.
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