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DHS Scales Back Some Warehouse Detention Centers After Local Pushback

New DHS leadership is slowing the warehouse plan through contract reviews.

Overview

  • DHS cut a planned site in Surprise, Arizona from 1,500 beds to 542 and delayed any opening until at least October, with $300,000 a year to replace lost property taxes.
  • In Williamsport, Maryland, the department offered the same 542-bed cap, and a court order has paused most work while the state’s lawsuit moves ahead.
  • Social Circle, Georgia shut off water and sewer to a proposed $128.6 million site designed for 10,000 detainees, saying the town lacks the capacity to serve it.
  • Kansas City, Missouri banned private detention facilities, and a planned warehouse sale there was halted after the vote.
  • Congress approved a record $45 billion for detention expansion last summer, fueling rapid warehouse purchases that many local officials say came with little consultation.