ICE Memo Reveals $38.3 Billion Plan for “Mega-Center” Detention Network to Accelerate Mass Deportations by Late 2026
A leaked internal memorandum from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ignited widespread alarm within immigrant communities and advocacy groups nationwide. The document, disclosed earlier this week, outlines a sweeping “Detention Reengineering Initiative” designed to fundamentally overhaul the nation’s deportation infrastructure. According to the memo, ICE is moving rapidly to establish a sprawling network of “mega-centers” and regional processing hubs, with the explicit goal of effectuating mass deportations by the end of 2026.
The comprehensive plan details the acquisition and retrofitting of eight massive detention facilities, each capable of holding between 7,000 and 10,000 detainees. These “mega-centers” will be supported by 16 new regional processing hubs, designed to hold 1,000 to 1,500 individuals each for short-term intake and processing. The initiative represents a shift toward a high-efficiency “hub-and-spoke” model, which agency officials have reportedly compared to a logistics distribution network, intended to streamline the arrest-to-deportation pipeline.
Deep Search: Inside the “Amazon for Deportations” Model
An analysis of the leaked documents reveals a strategy focused on maximizing throughput and scale. The proposed system appears modeled on modern logistics chains, moving detainees from local arrest points to regional processing hubs for rapid intake (3-7 days), and then funneling them to the large-scale “mega-centers” for final deportation staging (average stay of 60 days). This structural shift is backed by a staggering $38.3 billion investment, largely drawn from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” appropriations package passed by Congress last year.
The plan indicates a move away from relying solely on scattered county jails and private prisons, favoring instead the conversion of massive, warehouse-style industrial spaces into dedicated federal detention sites. By centralizing operations into these government-owned “turnkey” facilities, ICE aims to reduce per-detainee costs while dramatically increasing total capacity to over 92,600 beds—nearly double the capacity seen in previous administrations. The memo highlights that this infrastructure is a “downstream requirement” to accommodate the surge in arrests expected from the recent deployment of 12,000 additional enforcement officers.
Objections and Local Pushback
The revelation of these plans has triggered immediate and fierce opposition. Immigrant rights organizations have condemned the “mega-center” concept, warning that warehousing thousands of people in converted industrial sites poses severe human rights risks. “We are looking at the creation of detention camps on a scale never before seen in this country,” said a representative from the American Immigration Council. Critics argue that the sheer size of these facilities will make oversight impossible, exacerbating issues of medical neglect and due process violations.
Political pushback is also mounting at the local level. In New Hampshire, where one of the processing centers is reportedly planned, state officials have expressed deep concern over the lack of transparency and the potential economic and social impact on their communities. Opposition leaders in Congress have blasted the initiative as a “draconian waste of taxpayer money,” arguing that the funds would be better spent on border security technology or legal processing rather than mass incarceration infrastructure. Furthermore, legal experts warn that the “no release” policy implicit in the plan—where bond releases have reportedly dropped by nearly 90%—violates fundamental due process rights.
Background: The Escalation of Enforcement
This expansion marks the culmination of a year-long escalation in immigration enforcement. Since early 2025, the administration has aggressively ramped up “at-large” arrests in communities far from the border, departing from prior focuses on recent border crossers or those with serious criminal records. The detainee population has already surged from approximately 40,000 to nearly 70,000 in the last year alone.
The shift to a “mega-center” model mirrors the rapid expansion of the federal prison system in the 1990s but at a much faster pace. Historically, ICE relied on a patchwork of contractors; this move to a centralized, agency-run network of colossal facilities signals a permanent entrenchment of mass detention as a primary tool of immigration policy. With the target date for full operation set for November 30, 2026, the agency is racing against the clock to build the physical capacity necessary to meet the administration’s ambitious deportation targets.
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