The Trump administration is seeking to spend tens of billions of dollars to set up the machinery to expand immigrant detention on a scale never before seen in the United States, according to a request for proposals posted online by the administration last week.
The request, which comes from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calls for contractors to submit proposals to provide new detention facilities, transportation, security guards, medical support and other administrative services worth as much as $45 billion over the next two years.
ICE does not yet have that much money itself. But if funded, the maximum value would represent more than a sixfold increase in spending to detain immigrants. It is the latest indication that President Trump and his administration are laying the groundwork to rapidly follow through on his promise for a mass campaign to rid the country of undocumented immigrants.
The sprawling request to contractors was posted last week with a deadline of Monday. In the last fiscal year, D.H.S. allocated about $3.4 billion for the entire custody operation overseen by ICE.
ICE is already expecting a large windfall from the G.O.P. budget plan, which Senate Republicans approved on Saturday. That measure lays out a significant spending increase for the administration’s immigration agenda — up to $175 billion over the next 10 years to the committees overseeing immigration enforcement, among other things. The $45 billion request to contractors would put ICE in a position to more readily spend those funds.
The request also invites the Defense Department to use its own money for immigrant detention under the same plan.
Posted by John3262005
8 Comments
“America isn’t like nazi germany! We don’t have concentration camps!”
America: you’re right that’s a great idea where’s my checkbook
Why would we invest in chip fabs when we can funnel that money into detention camps?
Party of small government to protect you against the evil deep state or something. Sure hope they never get the idea to repurpose these when so convenient.
They’re deporting people without trials.
These detention centers will be for enemies of the Trump regime, not immigrants.
Balancing the budget is lib-coded.
Spending money to inflict suffering AND make the economy worse at the same time.
Look at my government dawg, we goin to hell
Can the GOP budget plan actually pass?
God forbid if it does I will never forgive Chuck Schumer.
We don’t have 9 billion to prevent aids and malaria in the third world but god forbid a dirty immigrant want to have a better life for himself and his family