Last week, the Department of Homeland Security posted online a call for bids to build detention facilities, as well as other services over the next two years, to manage the deportation of illegal migrants.
The request, issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, includes plans for infrastructure, security, medical care, and logistical support — at a projected cost of $45 billion, according to The New York Times.
The proposal indicates the Trump administration’s plans to expand its deportation operations, a central promise of the 2024 campaign. ICE is already detaining more individuals than Congress has funded, with roughly 47,900 people in custody as of late March, according to the Washington Examiner, and despite congressional appropriations for just 41,500 beds.
ICE’s current budget stands at nearly $10 billion. The agency lacks the resources to fund this expansion alone. However, Congress is currently weighing a $175 billion increase over the next decade for ICE. If approved, it would empower the agency to carry out the administration’s broader deportation agenda.
In February, Trump border czar Tom Homan said, “Our level of success depends on the resources I have. The more money we have, the more beds we can buy.”
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