The Trump administration has proposed the construction of four new detention centers, each with a capacity of 10,000 beds, aimed at holding undocumented immigrants during their repatriation process. This initiative would more than double the current capacity at the 14 existing facilities operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Details of the expansion were disclosed in documents from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), reviewed by the Washington Post. The financial implications of this plan are significant, with costs expected to reach billions of dollars. Funding for this expansion would require congressional approval, as it is not currently allocated in the CBP budget.
Additionally, the Department of Defense may provide space on military bases for temporary housing of detainees awaiting deportation. In a related move, President Trump signed an executive order on January 24, 2025, directing the Department of Defense to deploy 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S. border, emphasizing the need to protect national sovereignty.
Trump stated, "A National Emergency currently exists along the southern border of the United States," citing concerns over unlawful mass migration and drug trafficking. Further military involvement was confirmed when the Pentagon announced it would assist the Department of Homeland Security with air support for transporting detainees.
In a separate legal development, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's executive order aimed at limiting automatic birthright citizenship, labeling it "blatantly unconstitutional." The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour on January 24, 2025, follows a request from four Democratic-led states. The order prevents enforcement of the policy for 14 days while further arguments are scheduled for February 6.
Trump's executive order sought to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents, raising constitutional concerns under the 14th Amendment. The judge criticized the order, stating, "This is a blatantly unconstitutional order." Trump's administration plans to appeal the ruling.