The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report documenting significant financial mismanagement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies in their efforts to expand detention capacity since the Trump administration took office in January 2025. The nonpartisan investigators, who conducted the review at the request of congressional Democrats, identified wasteful spending across multiple initiatives totaling tens of millions of dollars.
Specific examples of the documented waste include nearly $3 million spent on tents erected at Guantánamo Bay that were never used, $20 million to maintain warehouses that were purchased but never housed any detainees before being sold, and excessive per-diem rates paid for detainees held at facilities operated under special arrangements. The GAO warned that despite receiving an unprecedented $45 billion in congressional appropriations to expand detention capacity, ICE lacks a comprehensive strategic plan for deploying those resources effectively. The detainee population grew from 39,000 in January 2025 to 67,000 as of July 30.
The report identified several problematic spending patterns, including a $1.5 billion expenditure to purchase two facilities already housing detainees without first assessing long-term affordability, and a $426 million renovation project for Arizona and Maryland facilities that remains on hold due to legal challenges. Additionally, the GAO found ICE is paying inflated per-detainee rates under various agreements—$249 per day through a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for Florida facilities compared to its standard rate of $92, and $182 per day under an arrangement with the Bureau of Prisons.
The Department of Homeland Security told investigators it would develop a comprehensive detention investment plan by August 31, 2027, though the report cautioned this timeline may not prevent further wasteful spending. The GAO warned that without implementing standard program management practices, ICE will likely continue making uninformed decisions and risk additional inefficiency and resource waste. Neither ICE nor DHS provided immediate additional comments responding to the findings.
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