DHS Offloads Seven Warehouses After Failed Mass Detention Plan

The United States Department of Homeland Security is offloading seven industrial warehouses previously purchased for over $700 million to support a mass deportation and detention initiative. Originally part of a $38 billion expansion strategy under former Secretary Kristi Noem to increase nationwide capacity to 90,000 beds, the plan has been scaled back under current Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The agency will sell or transfer facilities in New Jersey, Utah, Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, while continuing with sites in Texas, Arizona, and Maryland.

The reversal follows intense legal and political opposition. In New Jersey, Governor Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport sued to block a facility in Roxbury. In Utah, Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County filed lawsuits alleging the conversion of a $145 million warehouse violated federal law. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and various local leaders also opposed sites in Berks and Schuylkill counties. Opponents across these states argued that the logistics centers lacked the water, sewage, and power infrastructure necessary to house thousands of people.

Internal factors also contributed to the shift, including an inspector general's investigation and audits revealing the government paid significantly above market value for several properties. DHS now states it is prioritizing the rapid removal of criminal illegal aliens by utilizing existing detention space through state and county partners rather than maintaining taxpayer-funded warehouse facilities. In Texas, the agency is pivoting to convert warehouses in Socorro into a smaller campus for offices and training rather than a large-scale detention center.