ICE Plans to Build Mega Warehouses To Keep Detainees: A Deep Dive Into the Controversial Proposal

Immigration policy and detention infrastructure in the United States are once again in the national spotlight. This time, it is due to a controversial plan by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to convert large industrial warehouses into massive detention centres. According to reporting by NBC News, internal Department of Homeland Security documents show that the agency is exploring the purchase and operation of “mega warehouses” that could house thousands of migrant detainees as part of an expanded immigration enforcement strategy.

This plan has sparked intense debate about the ethics, logistics, and human impact of housing people in facilities built for storage rather than habitation. As always, our EB-1A immigration experts have presented a deep dive here.

Why mega warehouses? Understanding the proposal

NBC News reports that ICE plans to purchase and convert industrial warehouses into detention facilities that could hold as many as 8,000 detainees at once. In other words, it is roughly double the capacity of the largest federal prison in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security spreadsheet reviewed by reporters includes more than 20 such potential sites nationwide.

ICE currently detains more than 70,000 immigrants in 224 facilities across the country, according to agency data cited by NBC News. This figure represents one of the highest levels of detainees in ICE custody, with many of those individuals held in a patchwork of county jails, private detention centres, and temporary tent facilities.

A DHS insider contractor told NBC News that staffing such massive facilities would be logistically untenable in many ways. Another concern raised is whether local utilities like water and sewage systems could handle the demand for facilities of this size.

Behind the numbers: Scale, strategy, and critics

The warehouse plan is not simply an incremental expansion of existing detention centres. On the contrary, it represents a strategic shift in how ICE seeks to manage and expedite immigration detention and removal processes.

If eventually implemented, the mega warehouse system could resemble a “feeder model,” where individuals are initially processed at smaller sites before being transferred to large regional detention hubs capable of holding thousands at a time. One draft plan reportedly outlines the use of seven large warehouses with capacities between 5,000 and 10,000 detainees each, spread across regions like Virginia, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Georgia, and Missouri. In total, such a system could have the capacity to house upwards of 80,000 immigrants at once!

However, these figures have alarmed communities and civil liberties advocates alike. They have highlighted concerns about climate control, sanitation, and basic human dignity in facilities originally built for storage. Civil rights organizations have described the warehouse conversion idea as “dehumanizing,” as the industrial buildings lack proper space planning and essential infrastructure for residential use.

Local opposition and political pushback

The megacenter plan has also caused considerable local opposition and political pushback across the country.

In Maryland’s Hagerstown, hundreds of residents rallied against the possibility of a warehouse site being turned into a detention centre. In Stafford County, Virginia, local leaders expressed concern that a facility designed to hold between 5,000 and 10,000 detainees would “change the character and nature” of their community, and that essential infrastructure upgrades would come at taxpayer expense.

Even Republican lawmakers have voiced scepticism. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi formally objected to plans to convert a warehouse in Byhalia into a detention centre in the following terms. He wrote on X:

“I am all for immigration enforcement, but this site was meant for economic development and job creation. We cannot suddenly flood Byhalia with an influx of up to 10,000 detainees.”

Real challenges: logistics, standards, and human rights

Facilities Dive reported that turning industrial spaces into detention centres brings big challenges. The latter includes meeting national standards and making sure there are adequate living conditions (water, ventilation, sanitation, and safety). Experts in logistics and facility management say most warehouses do not have the basic setup needed for people to live there without major changes. Critics also worry that warehouse detention could end up like temporary tent camps, which have faced a lot of criticism in recent years.

Looking at the bigger picture, federal immigration data shows ICE’s detention system has grown quickly. The number of facilities has increased by almost 91% since early 2025, and thousands more people with no criminal records are being detained because of new enforcement priorities.

A turning point in detention policy?

Turning mega warehouses into detention centres is one of the biggest and most debated changes in U.S. immigration enforcement in decades.

As the debate continues, it is clear that the discussion about immigration detention in the U.S. is changing quickly, and the results will impact thousands of people and communities across the country.

Keep yourself informed, think carefully, and remember the wider human and legal issues as these changes shape the future of immigration in America.

At GCEB1, we encourage all applicants and aspirants to stay updated on all the latest policies and developments. We believe knowledge of the immigration landscape empowers all the aspirants who are preparing for a permanent residency green card. For a detailed EB-1A consultation, you can directly reach out to us.

We wish you a safe and stress-free immigration journey ahead.

Sources & Further Readings

1. Acevedo, Nicole, and Julia Ainsley.“Concerns Grow as ICE Plans to Build Mega Warehouses for Immigration Detention.” NBC News, February 3, 2026.
2. Associated Press. “Local Governments Push Back Against Federal ICE Detention Center Plans."AP News, February 4, 2026.
3. Facilities Dive.“ICE’s Plan to Convert Warehouses Into Detention Centers Raises Facility and Compliance Risks." Facilities Dive, February 2026.