ICE Considers Expanding Detention at Guantanamo Bay and 13 Other Sites

A recent surge of new detainees has exacerbated the overcrowding problem in ICE facilities nationwide. ICE is currently detaining more than 60,000 people, according to data from the watchdog organization Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Over the past year, various problems have been reported at some of the facilities including a measles outbreak, expired food, air conditioning failures, and medical negligence.

In April, a federal judge halted the construction of an immigration detention center in Williamsport, Maryland, citing severe sewage concerns. Similar lawsuits are also ongoing in Arizona, New Jersey, and Michigan, prompting the agency to sell or give away seven of the warehouses, according to reporting by the New York Times.

All of the potential expansions listed in ICE’s request for proposals share the same construction plan, which includes a one-story building consisting of 26 detention cells. The initial floor plan shows security cameras will be installed in each of the detention cells. Detainees in the 26 cells would share three showers spread across the building. The expansion buildings are each estimated to cost between $24 million and $40 million, with ICE capping total facility expansion spending at $10 billion.