Trump admin makes aggressive move to expand illegal immigrant detention: ‘Outside the box’

The Trump administration is utilizing federal prisons to detain illegal immigrants as part of a broad deportation effort, Fox News Digital has confirmed. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) released a statement saying that they are assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by housing detainees to support the administration’s policy goals.

For privacy and security reasons, the bureau does not disclose the legal status of individuals or specify the number and location of detainees in their facilities. Facilities in Los Angeles, Miami, and Atlanta are reportedly being used for detention as ICE has exceeded its capacity due to increased arrests in sanctuary cities and across the country.

ICE currently has just under 42,000 available beds, but the administration is working to increase that number to accommodate its goal of one million removals per year. ICE has requested around $575 million in advance funding from the Office of Management and Budget to expedite the process of obtaining additional beds and detention space.

ICE is collaborating with BOP and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to identify unused space in soft-sided facilities to house illegal immigrants. Any release of an illegal immigrant from ICE custody now requires personal approval from acting ICE director Caleb Vitello. Additionally, Guantánamo Bay is being used to house up to 30,000 detainees, with more migrants being transferred there.

“We are thinking outside the box,” a senior ICE official stated. The Biden administration’s reduction of beds and cancellation of contracts has posed challenges in quickly scaling up detention capacity. It is a gradual process that cannot be switched on instantly.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Adam Shaw, a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, covers immigration and border security. He can be contacted at adam.shaw2@fox.com or on Twitter.