A confidential internal memo reveals a dramatic expansion of immigration detention capabilities currently underway within Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The plan, dated February 13, 2026, details preparations for a significant increase in deportations, aiming to accommodate 92,600 detainees nationwide.
At the heart of this overhaul are eight massive detention centers, each designed to house up to 10,000 individuals. These “mega-centers” are slated for full operation by November 30, 2026, representing a fundamental shift in the scale of immigration detention.
The initiative isn’t limited to these large facilities. Sixteen regional processing centers, intended for shorter stays of three to seven days and capable of holding between 1,000 and 1,500 detainees each, are also part of the plan. Existing facilities are being acquired to further bolster capacity.
This restructuring aims to consolidate current detention contracts and centralize operations across the country. The memo explicitly links the expanded detention space to a projected surge in enforcement actions and arrests anticipated in 2026.
ICE describes this network as its “long-term detention solution,” emphasizing standardized designs and infrastructure capable of handling both immediate spikes in detainee numbers and sustained, ongoing operations. The focus is on scalability and efficiency.
Recent activity suggests the plan is already in motion. ICE has quietly purchased at least seven large warehouses – some exceeding one million square feet – in states including Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
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 properties, including in New York, are reportedly still ongoing.
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 originate from 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 within specific states, citing 16,840 final orders currently “at large” in Minnesota.
As ICE prepares for increased arrests and detention, a temporary reallocation of enforcement resources is underway. This “drawdown,” announced by border czar Tom Homan, is intended to allow for operational recalibration as the agency scales its capabilities.
