US Immigration Detention Maxed Out at 47,600 Detainees, ICE Official Says

U.S. immigration detention is filled to capacity at 47,600 detainees, a senior U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said on a call with reporters on Wednesday, adding that the Trump administration was seeking more bed space.

The official, who requested anonymity as a condition of the call, said ICE was expanding its bed count with support from the U.S. Defense Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Prisons.

ICE is currently funded to house an average of 41,500 detainees. The official said the agency was working with U.S. lawmakers to secure more detention funding.

{snip} Trump’s border czar Tom Homan said in December 2024 that the administration would need at least 100,000 beds for the mass deportation effort.

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