As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space

The Trump administration is tapping tent companies, private prison operators and disaster-relief providers to compete for some of the $45 billion earmarked for a massive expansion of immigration detention space.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month identified 41 companies that can bid for business under the administration’s detention rollout. It’s part of an “emergency acquisition” process meant to expedite future contracts. At least nine of the companies advertise so-called soft-sided facilities on their website or have operated such sites in the past, a sign the administration may be planning to increase its use of temporary structures for immigration detention or staging.