UMVA has learned that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is moving forward with plans to convert warehouses into large-scale immigration detention centers, sparking intense opposition from activist groups and local officials.
The decision comes despite the administration's acknowledgment that the move will likely face significant legal challenges, with multiple lawsuits already filed on environmental and infrastructure grounds.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is preparing to award contracts for major detention facilities in San Antonio and near El Paso, with the two sites expected to be operational by early 2027.
The DHS sees the warehouse initiative as a central part of its immigration enforcement strategy, allowing ICE to detain and process illegal immigrants more efficiently through large regional hubs.
DHS has already spent roughly $1 billion acquiring warehouse properties across multiple states for the effort, with internal upgrades, including security improvements and communications work, still expected to proceed despite the mounting opposition.
The push has faced a wave of lawsuits from activist groups and Democrat-led local opposition, who have attempted to argue on the grounds of environmental objections and local infrastructure concerns.
Meanwhile, DHS's Office of Inspector General has opened an audit into whether the warehouse acquisitions were made cost-effectively, adding another layer of scrutiny to the administration's plans.
The detention expansion is a key component of President Trump's immigration enforcement push, aimed at dramatically increasing deportation capacity nationwide, and the stakes are high as the country grapples with its complex and contentious immigration policy.
As the debate rages on, the fate of Florida's "Alligator Alcatraz" migrant detention facility, set to be shut down in the coming months, has added pressure to establish more permanent, large-scale detention infrastructure elsewhere, fueling concerns about the administration's priorities.
