Seven of 11 purchases moved toward resale
ICE bought 11 warehouses from January through April 2026 for $1.07 billion as it pursued new detention capacity, GAO reported. The agency later planned to sell seven after determining the sites were unsuitable or no longer needed.
The newsroom calculated that the resale group equals 63.6% of the properties. Those seven cost $707 million—66.1% of the original purchase total—so most of the acquisition dollars were tied to buildings now headed toward disposal.
| Measure | Published value | Newsroom calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouses purchased | 11 | 100% |
| Warehouses planned for sale | 7 | 63.6% |
| Total purchase cost | $1.07B | 100% |
| Purchase cost of seven planned sales | $707M | 66.1% |
| Purchase-related and carrying costs already unrecoverable | $20.5M | About 1.9% of purchase total |
At least $20.5 million will not return through sale
GAO identified $7.7 million in nonrecoverable purchase-related costs and another $12.8 million for utilities, security and other services. Together, that is $20.5 million before any possible difference between the $707 million purchase cost and future sale proceeds.
A resale below purchase price would increase the loss; a sale at or above purchase price could recover more of the principal. No final sale-price result existed at the report date, so the eventual total cannot yet be stated.
Planning failures preceded acquisition
GAO said six detention-acquisition initiatives lacked a comprehensive plan. Two additional warehouse contracts—$113 million in Hagerstown, Maryland, and $313 million in Surprise, Arizona—were largely on hold amid legal challenges.
The legal disputes are pending, not established misconduct. GAO recommended that ICE develop and implement a comprehensive acquisition plan. DHS agreed, but ICE’s target date extended to August 31, 2027.
Method and limitations
The newsroom reviewed GAO’s September 24 report, added the two categories of unrecoverable cost and calculated shares from GAO’s counts and rounded dollar totals. The $20.5 million figure is a documented floor, not a forecast of final loss.
GAO’s findings concern planning and cost exposure. They do not determine the merits of ongoing lawsuits, the suitability of every retained property or the final market value of sites sold later.