Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• DHS/ICE announces $38.3bn warehouse-to-detention-center conversion plan across 24 facilities — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disclosed plans to acquire and retrofit 24 warehouses nationwide into immigration detention centers with capacity for tens of thousands of detainees. The plan includes 16 regional processing centers (1,000–1,500 capacity each) and 8 large-scale facilities (7,000–10,000 capacity) designated as "primary locations" for deportations. DHS estimates $158m to retrofit a Merrimack, New Hampshire facility and $146m to operate it over three years. The broader $38.3bn effort is intended to support mass deportations and is funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
• ICE expands facilities across United States — ICE has quietly and aggressively expanded across the United States in recent months, buying or leasing new facilities in nearly every state, many outside the country's largest cities but concentrated in Texas. DHS asked the General Services Administration to ignore competitive bidding rules and hide lease listings citing "national security concerns."
• ICE plans $38.3 billion detention center expansion — ICE officials are planning to spend $38.3 billion to buy warehouses across the country. ICE will retrofit sixteen of them to become processing centers that can hold 1,000 to 1,500 detainees at a time before funneling them into eight megacenters that can hold up to 10,000 detainees each.

Supporting reports

• DHS purchases three major detention facilities for $194.4 million — The Department of Homeland Security has secured at least three facilities for the detention warehouse system. DHS paid $87.4 million for one facility outside Philadelphia, $37 million for another outside San Antonio (a warehouse of nearly 640,000 square feet), and $70 million for a building the size of seven football fields in Surprise, Arizona, outside Phoenix. The total expenditure for these three facilities is $194.4 million.
• ICE purchased multiple warehouses nationwide to convert into large-scale detention camps with minimal oversight — Immigration and Customs Enforcement has spent over half a billion dollars purchasing warehouses across the country to convert into detention camps. The planned facilities would hold between 8,500 and 10,000 people each in buildings not originally designed for human habitation, making them larger than Rikers Island, the physically largest jail in the United States. ICE has purchased at least six warehouses at costs of $70–$110 million each, with billions more required for retrofitting and staffing. Recent purchases include warehouses in multiple states. Immigration attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick noted these mega-camps would operate with little to no real oversight.
• DHS and ICE acquire multiple large warehouse properties across six states for immigration detention expansion — The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have purchased or are planning to acquire approximately 23 warehouse-style properties nationwide, with confirmed acquisitions documented in Arizona (418,000 sq ft, $70M), Pennsylvania (520,000 sq ft, $87.4M), Texas (640,000 sq ft, $66.1M), Maryland (825,000+ sq ft, $102.4M), Texas near El Paso (over $122M), and Georgia. Additional proposals include a Mississippi facility designed to hold 8,500+ beds and a Texas site in Hutchins. The acquisitions bypass traditional approval processes by utilizing already-zoned industrial properties, enabling rapid expansion of detention and processing capacity.
• DHS and ICE Acquire Large Warehouses for Detention Expansion — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been acquiring large industrial warehouse properties across multiple states to expand immigration detention and processing capacity. Confirmed purchases include a 418,000-square-foot warehouse in Surprise, Arizona, a 520,000-square-foot facility in Upper Bern Township, Pennsylvania, a 640,000-square-foot site in San Antonio, Texas, an 825,000-square-foot warehouse in Washington County, Maryland, and a property in Socorro, Texas. These acquisitions are part of a broader strategy involving approximately 23 warehouse-style properties nationwide, as reported by the Washington Post.
• Oklahoma City warehouse owner terminates DHS detention facility negotiations following public opposition — A warehouse owner in Oklahoma City ended negotiations with the Department of Homeland Security for use as an ICE detention facility after public opposition and community scrutiny. The outcome demonstrates that local engagement and documentation can alter federal acquisition outcomes.
• DHS purchased six warehouse properties for detention infrastructure — Public records confirm that the Department of Homeland Security has purchased at least six massive warehouse properties across multiple states totaling hundreds of millions of dollars: Arizona (418,000 sq ft, $70M), Pennsylvania (520,000 sq ft, $87.4M), Texas (640,000 sq ft, $66.1M), Maryland (825,000+ sq ft, $102.4M), another Texas site ($122M+), and Georgia. Internal DHS planning documents describe a strategy involving approximately 23 warehouse-style properties nationwide. These industrial structures near highways, freight corridors, and airports are selected for logistical efficiency and rapid conversion into processing centers capable of handling large numbers of individuals simultaneously.

Supporting reports

• Elon Musk's FAA project involves nondisclosure agreements — Staffers for Elon Musk's "Department of Government Efficiency" are working on a multimillion-dollar communications project called "Project Lift" at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). FAA employees involved in the project have been required to sign nondisclosure agreements, limiting transparency about the project's details and objectives.
• Trump Administration Grants Classified Network Access to Musk's Team — NPR reported that two members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency were issued accounts on classified networks containing top-secret details about the country's nuclear weapons. This access raises significant security and oversight concerns.

Supporting reports

• Lawsuit filed against Trump's 'Doge' program — A lawsuit was filed against the 'department of government efficiency' (Doge) program, initiated by Donald Trump and led by Elon Musk, shortly after Trump's swearing-in. The lawsuit, filed by the public interest law firm National Security Counselors, claims that Doge violates federal transparency rules. It argues that Doge should be considered a federal advisory committee, which requires balanced representation, record-keeping, and public access to meetings. The program, which aims to cut government programs and jobs, has reportedly hired staff working from Musk's SpaceX offices.
• DOGE program sued for transparency violations — The DOGE program, initiated by the Trump administration, was sued shortly after Trump's inauguration. The lawsuit alleges that DOGE violates federal transparency rules, including failing to maintain balanced representation, keep records of meetings, and ensure public scrutiny. The National Security Counselors, a public interest law firm, argue that DOGE should be classified as a federal advisory committee, which would subject it to specific legal requirements for transparency and accountability.

Supporting reports

• White House signed executive order establishing Department of Government Efficiency — The White House signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to modernize federal technology and software. The order renames the United States Digital Service as the United States DOGE Service, establishes a USDS Administrator reporting to the White House Chief of Staff, and creates a temporary organization set to terminate July 4, 2026. Each federal agency must establish DOGE Teams of at least four employees within 30 days. The order directs USDS to conduct a Software Modernization Initiative and grants USDS full access to unclassified agency records and IT systems.
• Lawsuit filed against Trump's 'Doge' program — A lawsuit was filed against the 'department of government efficiency' (Doge) program, initiated by Donald Trump and led by Elon Musk, shortly after Trump's swearing-in. The lawsuit, filed by the public interest law firm National Security Counselors, claims that Doge violates federal transparency rules. It argues that Doge should be considered a federal advisory committee, which requires balanced representation, record-keeping, and public access to meetings. The program, which aims to cut government programs and jobs, has reportedly hired staff working from Musk's SpaceX offices.
• Elon Musk given office in West Wing — Elon Musk has reportedly secured an office in the West Wing of the White House, following negotiations with Donald Trump. This development suggests a close relationship between Musk and the Trump administration, raising questions about the influence of private sector leaders on government policy and operations.