As the Trump administration increases arrests of immigrants, there is a scramble to find enough detention space to accommodate detainees. The administration’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, indicated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement needs 100,000 beds, more than double their current capacity. Trump has ordered the preparation of 30,000 beds at Guantánamo Bay for detainees posing a threat to American safety.
The Biden administration made an average of 282 immigration arrests per day in September 2024, compared to the Trump administration’s daily average of 791 arrests. Despite a budget shortfall, ICE has been instructed to detain undocumented immigrants who have been arrested for certain offenses. The cost of detaining immigrants is approximately $57,378 per year per bed.
A vast network of facilities, including government-owned, state-owned, and contracted private entities, are used to hold detained immigrants. The Trump administration has started using additional facilities to supplement existing space, and the Justice Department is targeting state and local officials who resist federal immigration enforcement.
The immigration detention system has faced criticism for substandard conditions, lack of access to attorneys, and cost-effectiveness. Detainees at the Guantánamo Bay facility, including families with young children fleeing their countries, have reported poor living conditions. Many are kept there until a third country agrees to accept them, even if they have family in the U.S. This move to utilize Guantánamo Bay for immigrant detention has been widely condemned by immigration advocates for its adverse effects on detainees.
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