The Trump administration is seeking contractors to convert massive industrial warehouses into large-scale staging centers designed to speed deportations and reduce the chaos of today's ad hoc detention network, according to a report.

Under the proposal, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would shift from shuttling detainees around the country wherever space exists to a more deliberate "feeder" pipeline, according to a draft solicitation reviewed by The Washington Post.

Newly arrested illegal immigrants would be booked into processing sites for several weeks, then transferred into one of seven large warehouses holding roughly 5,000 to 10,000 people each, where they would be staged for removal.

Sixteen additional smaller warehouse facilities could hold up to 1,500 detainees each.

The warehouses would be positioned near major logistics hubs in states such as Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Georgia, and Missouri — locations that would make it easier to coordinate deportation flights and reduce costly delays.

While the solicitation remains in draft form and could change, ICE plans to share it with private detention companies to gauge interest, with a formal request for bids potentially coming soon, the Post reported.

The effort represents the next phase of President Donald Trump's push to restore order at the border and enforce immigration law at scale.

The Post noted Congress has set aside about $45 billion for detention expansion, and the administration has already reopened dormant prisons, repurposed sections of military bases, and partnered with Republican-led states to establish tent facilities in remote regions.

Border czar Tom Homan recently said on X that the administration has deported more than 579,000 people this year.

Supporters say the warehouse approach aims to make the system more efficient, not more punitive.

The draft solicitation describes goals of "maximizing efficiency," reducing costs, shortening processing times, and accelerating removals, while also promoting "safety, dignity and respect" for those in custody, the Post reported.

Still, critics argue that large warehouse-style facilities are inherently "dehumanizing" and could pose health and infrastructure challenges, since such buildings are designed for shipping goods, not housing thousands of people.

Commercial real estate experts cited by the Post raised concerns about ventilation, temperature control, sanitation, and staffing.

NBC News reported in November that the administration has also explored outright buying warehouse sites originally designed for large-scale commercial clients and retrofitting them as "mega detention centers."

Officials told NBC News the locations under consideration would likely be in the southern U.S. near airports commonly used for deportation flights, which they said would increase efficiency.

The outlet also reported the warehouses would be owned by ICE and potentially operated by the agency, rather than relying heavily on private contractors.

The debate comes as ICE detention numbers continue to rise.

The Post reported ICE held more than 68,000 people at the start of this month — the highest on record — with nearly half having no criminal conviction or pending criminal charges.

For the administration, the goal is straightforward: A system built to enforce immigration laws quickly and consistently, ending what it sees as years of catch-and-release incentives and bureaucratic paralysis.

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