Overview
- Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced the Ban Warehouse Detention Act on Thursday, seeking to stop the Department of Homeland Security from using warehouses and similar structures for civil immigration detention.
- The bill would bar federal agencies from establishing, converting, expanding, or renovating warehouses, tents, soft-sided buildings, or modular units to house or process people under immigration law.
- ICE outlined a $38.3 billion plan in February to buy about 24 commercial sites and has purchased 11 warehouses so far, following a 2025 funding surge that pushed detention capacity to a record 73,000.
- DHS paused new warehouse purchases after Kristi Noem’s ouster to allow Secretary Markwayne Mullin to review contracts and policies, and most sites have not opened.
- Local pushback has delayed projects through lawsuits and city resolutions, including a judge’s order blocking work in Williamsport, Maryland, as advocates report poor conditions and a hunger strike at a Michigan facility.