Millions Wasted on Expansion
Government Accountability Office Report Finds Millions Wasted in Rushed ICE Detention Expansion
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Key Points
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ICE is seeking to sell seven of the 11 warehouses it bought for detention, after spending $20 million on unrecoverable costs including zoning work, utilities and security.
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ICE and the Defense Department spent more than $100 million to house migrants at Guantánamo Bay, where the average daily detainee population this year was just 16.
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GAO found Florida was reimbursed for operating Alligator Alcatraz and another detention facility at rates 171% above ICE’s median rate.
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Of six initiatives to rapidly expand detention capacity, ICE has retreated from four, according to the GAO.
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ICE had set a goal of increasing the detained population from fewer than 40,000 at the end of the Biden administration to about 100,000 under Trump.
A federal watchdog has found that ICE wasted tens of millions of dollars on rushed detention expansion after President Trump ordered mass deportations. GAO discovered nearly $3 million spent on unused tents at Guantánamo Bay and more than $20 million in unrecoverable costs for warehouses that never housed detainees. The agency received $45 billion for expansion but still lacks a comprehensive strategic plan.
ICE abandoned or scaled back four of six rapid-expansion initiatives as the detained population jumped from 39,000 in January 2025 to 67,000 by July 2026. KOAA reported that Florida facilities were reimbursed at rates 171% above ICE's median, including the now-closed Alligator Alcatraz. Officials warned that further waste could continue before a strategic plan arrives in August 2027.
Guantánamo Bay's $100 Million Detention Experiment
ICE and the Defense Department spent over $100 million to house migrants at Guantánamo Bay, WKBW reported, despite housing only 16 detainees per day on average. The unused tent infrastructure alone cost nearly $3 million. This massive spending-to-capacity ratio represents one of the costliest detention failures under the expansion directive.
Warehouses Purchased but Never Used for Detention
ICE bought 11 warehouses nationwide for detention expansion but now seeks to sell seven of them. WMAR2 found that the agency spent over $20 million on unrecoverable costs including zoning work, utilities, and security systems. These warehouses never housed a single detainee, turning capital investments into pure losses.
Florida Detention Rates Soar Past National Average
Florida facilities charged ICE 171% above the agency's median reimbursement rate, TurnTo23 reported. Alligator Alcatraz, now closed, was one of the overpriced operations. These above-market payments drained detention funds while delivering minimal added value.
Four of Six Expansion Plans Abandoned or Scaled Back
The GAO determined that ICE retreated from four of its six rapid-expansion initiatives as detention numbers climbed. LEX18 noted that despite the $45 billion allocated for expansion, ICE lacks a cohesive long-term strategy. The Department of Homeland Security promised a comprehensive plan by August 2027, raising concerns that waste will continue unchecked until then.
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