ICE Plans Mobile Detention Vans in Pennsylvania Expansion

The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to deploy mobile detention facilities in Pennsylvania, according to government documents obtained by the watchdog group Project Salt Box. These facilities will consist of a network of vans operated by GTI, a subsidiary of the GEO Group, designed to follow officers into the field during arrests.

This initiative follows a failed effort by ICE to convert warehouses into mega detention centers, a plan that faced community protests and legal challenges from states such as Maryland. To address capacity needs, the Department of Homeland Security has signed over $7 billion in construction contracts to expand detention facilities in New York, Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California, with additional expansions planned for Colorado, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

The Trump administration has arrested approximately 100,000 immigrants over the last two months. The GEO Group indicates that ICE is currently working toward a goal of 100,000 operational beds to support these enforcement efforts.