Federal authorities are eyeing new detention facilities for adult immigrants in California as the incoming Trump administration promises mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are looking for space to house 850 to 950 people within two hours of the San Francisco regional field office, including outposts in Sacramento, San Jose and Bakersfield, according to federal documents seeking clues. It is said that the focus is on Possible location.
CalMatters first reported ICE’s interest in opening the new center.
The agency’s desire to expand the immigration blockade predates Trump’s election. Officials began collecting information in August, about a month after President Biden tightened policies against asylum seekers at the Mexican border. In addition to California, ICE is considering the possibility of building new detention centers in Phoenix, El Paso and near Seattle, according to documents seeking clues about locations.
“ICE has recognized the need for immigrant detention services within its territory in the Western United States,” agency spokesperson Richard Beam told CalMatters.
According to ICE, the planned center would have approximately 3,800 additional available beds (an approximately 10% increase over the current number of detainees) and would house adult men and women in a variety of security grades, from low to high. I will do it. The agency said it would target public and private properties and locations where other types of inmates are currently held, including county jails and commercial prisons.
The state’s six ICE detention facilities are operated by private companies.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to launch the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, but it remains unclear how he will carry it out or how he will pay for it. More than 11 million illegal immigrants are believed to be living in the United States, and only about 38,000 are in ICE custody, according to the agency’s website.
California elected officials are preparing to fight the Trump administration over immigration roundups. Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta last week alerted public authorities to state laws that limit the ability of courts, hospitals, schools, universities, and shelters to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
“No matter who is in the White House or here in California, we will continue to lead with California values,” Bonta said in a statement. “We cannot allow the Trump deportation machine to create a culture of fear and mistrust that prevents immigrants from accessing critical public services.”
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