A confidential internal memo reveals a dramatic escalation in immigration enforcement planned by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency intends to significantly expand its detention capabilities, preparing for what it terms “mass deportations” across the country.
The plan, dated February 13, 2026, outlines a sweeping overhaul of the detention system. Central to this initiative are eight massive detention centers, each designed to house up to 10,000 detainees, with a projected operational date of November 30, 2026. These mega-centers represent a fundamental shift in ICE’s approach to detention.
Beyond these large-scale facilities, the strategy includes the construction of 16 regional processing centers. These sites, intended for shorter stays of three to seven days, will accommodate between 1,000 and 1,500 detainees each. ICE also intends to acquire ten existing facilities already under its operational control.
This restructuring aims to consolidate existing contracts and centralize detention operations nationwide, creating a more streamlined and efficient system for increased deportations. The initiative will be funded through allocations from a piece of legislation known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
The memo details a recent surge in ICE’s law enforcement personnel, with 12,000 new officers added to the ranks. This expansion of enforcement capacity is directly linked to the need for increased detention space to accommodate a projected rise in arrests throughout 2026.
ICE describes this network as its “long-term detention solution,” emphasizing standardized facility designs and infrastructure capable of handling both immediate surges and sustained, large-scale operations. The focus is on scalability and adaptability to meet future demands.
Recent activity suggests the plan is already underway. ICE has quietly purchased at least seven large warehouses – some exceeding one million square feet – in states including Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These acquisitions are fueling concerns about the rapid expansion of detention infrastructure.
However, the expansion hasn’t been without resistance. Proposed warehouse purchases in six other cities were abandoned after sellers, facing pressure from activist groups, declined to proceed with the deals. Negotiations for additional facilities, including one in New York, are reportedly still in progress.
During recent testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons revealed that approximately 1.6 million individuals in the U.S. have final deportation orders. Roughly half of these individuals have criminal convictions.
Lyons emphasized that these deportation orders are issued by immigration judges within the Department of Justice, independent of ICE or the Department of Homeland Security. He also highlighted a significant number of outstanding orders in specific states, citing 16,840 final orders currently at large in Minnesota.
As ICE prepares to scale up arrests and detention capacity, a temporary drawdown of enforcement resources has been announced. This recalibration is intended to optimize operations and ensure a coordinated approach to the anticipated increase in enforcement activity.
