GAO Report Highlights Waste in ICE's Detention Capacity Expansion Efforts

A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released on September 25, 2026, indicates that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in its rapid expansion of detention capacity. In January, ICE spent more money in a single day than it had during any other day in President Trump's terms, according to federal spending records. The agency advanced billions to Chicago Title Insurance in escrow to acquire detention facilities. Over the next two months, ICE utilized $1.07 billion of these funds to purchase 11 warehouses intended for conversion into detention centers, seven of which the agency now plans to sell. The remaining funds sat with the firm for months after ICE abandoned the warehouse plan. In July and August, ICE transferred $2.2 billion from Chicago Title to acquire four detention facilities from CoreCivic, a private prison company. The GAO report found that ICE failed to account for long-term costs in acquiring these centers and incurred $20 million in unrecoverable costs from purchasing the warehouses. The report also noted that further losses could occur if ICE sells the warehouses for less than their purchase price. Currently, $1.55 billion remains with Chicago Title for acquiring detention centers as ICE continues its efforts to double the number of detention beds. Recently, ICE awarded contracts that could total $10 billion to expand and construct new facilities. The GAO emphasized the need for urgent planning to mitigate further waste, with ICE stating it would produce a strategic plan by August 31, 2027. Heather MacLeod, director of Homeland Security and Justice at GAO, criticized the lack of overall planning, which has led to inefficiencies and waste. The report did not provide a total estimate of potential losses due to waste, but another review of ICE spending is currently in progress. Following Congress's allocation of $75 billion to ICE, including $45 billion for detention capacity expansion, the agency's spending has nearly doubled this year, reaching $19 billion from October to July, compared to $11 billion in the previous fiscal year. A DHS spokesperson stated that ICE is working on cost-effective methods to fulfill its mandate for mass deportations. However, the appropriations process has allowed ICE more flexibility in funding usage, which has resulted in a breakdown of oversight. ICE paid an 11% to 13% premium on the warehouses purchased, partly due to directives from former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to expedite site acquisitions. Legal challenges are facing the remaining warehouses ICE plans to convert, although contracts worth $426 million have already been signed for renovations. ICE has also spent $1.47 billion on two California facilities from CoreCivic and an additional $734 million on two more facilities in Kansas and Minnesota. The GAO found that ICE had only forecasted costs for the next three years, neglecting to plan for funding beyond the allocated amounts through 2029. Additionally, ICE has paid the state of Florida significantly more than usual for two state-operated facilities, and has incurred higher per-bed costs for housing detainees at Bureau of Prisons facilities due to staffing needs. The GAO also mentioned ICE's abandoned initiative to establish detention facilities at military bases.