ICE Plans Detention Centers in Warehouses and Compares Migrants to Packages

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According to Univision, the federal plan proposes converting industrial warehouses into migrant detention facilities, centralizing processes and increasing capacity, based on a draft cited by The Washington Post.

The initiative seeks to replace improvised transfers with an organized system that accelerates deportations, reduces operating costs, and standardizes procedures under centralized federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) control.

The largest center is projected for Stafford, Virginia, within a national network of facilities located near major regional logistics hubs.

Authorities describe goals of efficiency and dignity; however, the corporate-style language used has sparked criticism for dehumanizing the detention of migrants in the United States.

How the Proposed System Would Operate

A draft obtained by The Washington Post indicates the plans the federal government has for detained migrants. The largest center would be located in Virginia. https://t.co/eT4nk8HVaM

— Univision Washington DC (@UnivisionDC) December 24, 2025

The operating model envisions initial processing centers where detainees would remain for weeks before being transferred to large, designated regional warehouses overseen by federal authorities.

Seven major complexes would house between 5,000 and 10,000 people each while their administrative and legal deportation proceedings are processed.

The plan also adds sixteen smaller facilities with limited capacity, designed to distribute the detained population and relieve ongoing regional logistical pressure within the national immigration system.

Proposed sites are located in Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia, and Missouri—near key national ground, air, and rail transportation corridors.

Criticism of ICE Warehouse Detention Centers

Human rights advocates question the use of warehouses not designed for prolonged human habitation that is safe, healthy, dignified, and adequate.

Experts point to common shortcomings such as poor ventilation, insufficient temperature control, and limited sanitation in industrial structures adapted for temporary mass detention of migrants.

ICE says it would retrofit the spaces with clinics, dormitories, restrooms, dining halls, recreational areas, and internal legal libraries, supervised by trained staff under established federal protocols.

Some facilities would include family areas, though concerns persist regarding independent oversight, transparency, and effective guarantees of basic legal and human rights during immigration detention.

Local Impact and Operational Challenges

The strategy fits within a broader immigration offensive by President Donald Trump to increase detentions and deportations using federal resources approved by Congress.

Congress allocated $45 billion for detention, while authorities report hundreds of thousands of deportations annually under the current administration.

Local governments have expressed concern about impacts on infrastructure, public safety, and social services—especially in Democratic jurisdictions where additional operational costs and community responsibilities would fall.

Former officials warn of staffing, training, and permitting challenges, citing prior experiences with delays and operational failures at recent centers, including Fort Bliss, Texas, which have been publicly documented.

ICE Detention Centers and the Road Ahead

The draft clarifies that the proposal is not final and may change after consultations with private companies specializing in government-contracted immigration detention.

ICE plans to share the project with private operators to assess interest, costs, and technical feasibility before launching a formal public bidding process.

The absence of a detailed timeline creates uncertainty about implementation speed and immediate impacts on communities near the proposed centers.

The document states that once construction begins, facilities would be required to receive detainees within 30 to 60 days—marking a significant operational acceleration under the ICE warehouse detention centers plan.