Payback: Trump Team Eyeing Massive Deportation Prisons in Dems' Own Backyards
Illegal immigrants facing deportation under the Trump administration may soon find themselves detained close to the sanctuary cities that have previously shielded them.
According to an NBC report, which cited unnamed sources, a proposal currently under consideration—though still not finalized—could increase the current capacity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to 82,000 detention beds, double the 41,000 beds currently allocated by Congress.
In essence, this approach would involve holding illegal immigrants briefly in these facilities before processing them out of the country.
Given the high population of illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities, NBC reported that new detention centers would likely be positioned nearby. However, the source indicated that the size of the immigrant population—not a city’s political alignment—would primarily determine the locations of these centers.
Despite sanctuary status, the report stated that the new administration would not be deterred from setting up detention facilities in or around these areas.
Some areas identified as potential sites for new detention centers include Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago. Expansion or reopening of existing facilities is also possible in cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, NBC’s source mentioned.
Building new facilities is one approach, although utilizing space in existing locations, such as county jails, is also being considered.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, did not specifically address the detention center plan in her comments to NBC.
“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver,” she stated.
Stephen Miller, Trump’s pick for deputy chief of staff to lead domestic policy, has mentioned that National Guard troops could be called upon to assist with deportations, according to Reuters.
Trump has hinted that a law from 1798, the Alien Enemies Act, could be used to deport individuals accused of gang affiliation who are in the country illegally.
Miller told The New York Times that Trump remains committed to his deportation strategy.
“Any activists who doubt President Trump’s resolve in the slightest are making a drastic error: Trump will unleash the vast arsenal of federal powers to implement the most spectacular migration crackdown,” he said, adding, “The immigration legal activists won’t know what’s happening.”
“Mass deportation will be a labor-market disruption celebrated by American workers, who will now be offered higher wages with better benefits to fill these jobs,” he added. “Americans will also celebrate the fact that our nation’s laws are now being applied equally, and that one select group is no longer magically exempt.”
“Bottom line,” he emphasized, “President Trump will do whatever it takes.”
As ABC noted, private contractors are likely to manage these detention centers.
During an earnings call on Thursday, GEO Group Executive Chairman George Zoley stated that his company “was built for this unique moment in our history and the opportunities that it will bring.”