USA · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
GAO Finds ICE Wasted Over $20 Million On Detention Expansion Without Strategic Plan
GAO found ICE wasted over $20 million expanding detention without a strategic plan. Rapid, large-scale detention expansion occurred during the Trump administration.
Guantánamo Bay detention tents were built but never used.
11 of 12 outlets skipped it: ICE bypassed standard contracting and used a Florida-exclusive grant program.
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“Auditors also flagged that ICE spent about $43 million from the start of fiscal 2025 through June 30, 2026”Read the original ↗
One cites tent-build cost; the other emphasises later ongoing detention spending at low populations.
GAO: detention expansion waste
The Government Accountability Office found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement spent more than $20 million in taxpayer dollars on detention expansion initiatives without a comprehensive strategic plan to guide its efforts.
The watchdog reported that ICE advanced billions to Chicago Title Insurance in escrow to acquire detention facilities, then used $1.07 billion of those funds over the next two months to purchase 11 warehouses it planned to convert to detention megacenters.
The watchdog also found that ICE lost $20 million in unrecoverable costs purchasing the warehouses it no longer plans to use, and GAO warned that even more could be lost if ICE sells the warehouses for less than what it paid.
Heather MacLeod, director of Homeland Security and Justice at GAO, said, "We just saw a real lack of planning overall," as ICE continued its push to double the number of detention beds in service of the president's mass deportation agenda.
ICE said it would produce a strategic plan by Aug. 31, 2027, which GAO said was not soon enough, and MacLeod added, "The lack of planning has really led to stops and starts which have ultimately resulted in waste."
Warehouses, premiums, and sales
ICE used $1.07 billion to purchase 11 warehouses it planned to convert to detention megacenters, and the agency later abandoned the warehouse plan and planned to sell seven of the sites.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told CBS News that ICE advanced billions to Chicago Title Insurance in escrow to acquire detention facilities, and the spending included a $1.07 billion warehouse purchase followed by months of money sitting with the firm after ICE abandoned the warehouse plan.
CoStar reported that ICE paid an 11% to 13% premium on the 11 warehouses it purchased, and the Government Accountability Office said ICE failed to account for long-term costs in acquiring detention centers.
The Government Accountability Office also found that $1.55 billion still sits with Chicago Title Insurance for acquiring detention centers as ICE continues its push to double the number of detention beds.
The watchdog concluded that "urgent planning" is necessary to reduce further waste, and ICE said it would produce a strategic plan by Aug. 31, 2027, while GAO said that date was not soon enough.
Next steps and what is at risk
The Government Accountability Office warned that ICE has not projected the costs of these facilities beyond the first 3 years of operation, after which ICE will no longer have OBBBA and Secure America Act funds available for obligation because those funds are only available through fiscal year 2029.
The watchdog recommended that the Director of ICE "should develop a comprehensive strategic plan to guide its detention expansion efforts that includes goals, activities, and resource needs," and the report said DHS agreed and that ICE would develop a strategic plan by Aug. 31, 2027.
The report said ICE’s change of course has led to nonrecoverable costs, including $7.7 million spent in zoning assessments and title insurance, and it said ICE is still paying for utilities, security and other services at warehouses it intends to sell, costing approximately $12.8 million as of last month.
The watchdog also warned that ICE’s separate move to purchase $1.5 billion in existing detention facilities has the potential to waste money because the agency has not assessed any long-term costs of operating the facilities.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the detainee population increased from 39,000 in January 2025 to 67,000 as of July 30, while the GAO warned that without action to manage detention investments, ICE will likely continue to make uninformed decisions and risk further inefficiency and wasted resources.