GAO says ICE’s rapid detention buildup created waste and planning failures.
Why it matters: The reports put a concrete price tag on ICE detention spending oversight and procurement risk. They also show the agency is still operating without a comprehensive strategic plan, with a deadline not expected until 2027.
- GAO said ICE launched six detention-expansion initiatives since January 2025 without a comprehensive strategic plan.
- ICE bought 11 warehouses for about $1.07 billion and later told GAO it planned to sell seven of them.
- GAO said ICE had already incurred more than $20 million in nonrecoverable costs tied to those warehouses.
- At Camp East Montana in Fort Bliss, GAO said ICE and the Army moved ahead on a fast timeline that led to waste, including meals and services paid for when the facility was below capacity.
The Government Accountability Office said ICE expanded detention too quickly and without enough planning, producing waste in two separate reviews. One report said ICE lacked consistent goals for the size and characteristics of the detention bed space it was trying to create, and did not adequately compare higher-cost facilities with cheaper alternatives. GAO's detention-expansion report
That report centered on ICE's warehouse purchases. GAO said the agency bought 11 warehouses for about $1.07 billion, then later told GAO it planned to sell seven of them. ICE had already spent more than $20 million in nonrecoverable costs, including zoning assessments and security work tied to the properties, before changing course. GAO said those costs became waste once ICE moved away from using most of the sites.
A second GAO review examined Camp East Montana at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. GAO said the Army and ICE moved on a fast timeline that contributed to waste, including paying for meals and services while the facility was below capacity. The report said Camp East Montana opened in August 2025 and was ICE's largest detention facility by April 2026, with room for about 5,000 detainees. GAO's Camp East Montana report
GAO also said ICE began housing detainees at Camp East Montana without a required pre-occupancy inspection and before key detention standards were met. DHS agreed with GAO's recommendation that ICE develop a comprehensive strategic plan, but said it does not expect to finish it until Aug. 31, 2027.
By the numbers
- $1.07 billion - What ICE spent on 11 warehouses
- $20 million-plus - Nonrecoverable costs GAO said ICE incurred on those properties
- Aug. 31, 2027 - DHS's expected deadline to finish a comprehensive strategic plan
Yes, but: GAO's findings are based on two reviews of ICE expansion efforts, and the reports do not by themselves establish how much of the spending will ultimately be recovered or avoided.
What's next: DHS said it does not expect to finish the comprehensive strategic plan until Aug. 31, 2027.