ICE wasted millions of taxpayer dollars in rapid push to expand detention capacity, government watchdog finds

Key Points:

• In January, ICE spent a record amount in a single day by advancing billions to Chicago Title Insurance to acquire detention facilities, later purchasing warehouses and detention centers, some of which it now plans to sell, leading to millions in wasted taxpayer dollars.
• The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found ICE failed to plan for long-term costs, lost $20 million on unused warehouses, and risks further losses if properties sell below purchase price, urging "urgent planning" to reduce waste.
• ICE's spending surged after receiving $75 billion through the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," nearly doubling its expenditures from $11 billion to $19 billion within a year, but the agency's rapid spending lacked usual congressional oversight mechanisms.
• ICE paid premiums on warehouse purchases under pressure to acquire new detention sites quickly, with some facilities facing legal challenges and no detainees currently housed there; meanwhile, purchases from private prison company CoreCivic totaled billions.
• Additional GAO findings highlighted ICE's costly contracts with states and the Bureau of Prisons, abandoned detention projects at military bases, and unused infrastructure investments, prompting DHS's Inspector General to audit ICE's spending for cost-effectiveness and oversight compliance.