The federal government is holding more than 48,000 people in immigration detention, about a 20% increase since January.
That is already thousands beyond what Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is funded for, yet the administration has signaled its work is far from over. President Trump's border czar Tom Homan has said he wants to see 100,000 in detention.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently confirmed that the administration doubled the arrest quotas immigration officers must meet – from 1,800 to 3,000 each day. With that demand, the government is intensifying its hunt for more space.
Private prisons are ramping up capacity
Nearly 90% of people in ICE custody are held in facilities run by for-profit, private companies. Two of the largest, Geo Group a