The United States immigrant detention system is swelling again in 2025, and researcher Nancy Hiemstra says money is a big reason why. By mid-year, more than 56,000 people were held in immigrant detention—a level not seen since the first Trump administration—as federal funding and contracts expand alongside tougher enforcement. Hiemstra’s new book, Immigration Detention Inc.: The Big Business of Locking Up Migrants, argues that detention now functions as a market as much as a policy, pulling in private prison giants, local governments, and a web of vendors that profit when beds stay full.
The federal government spent $3.4 billion on immigrant detention in 2024, and proposals in 2025 seek nearly $50 billion to grow capacity and operations. Since 1994, when detention capacity stood at 6,785, the system has ballooned to more than 41,500 beds by 2024. The pace quickened after President Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, reshaping enforcement and reviving expansion plans. On April 6, 2025, immigration officials held 47,928 people in custody, up from 39,703 in January—evidence of rapid growth and strain inside facilities.
Detention as an Economic Engine
Hiemstra, a political geographer, and collaborator Deirdre Conlon describe the “internal economies” that form inside and around detention centers. Their research tracks how everyday operations create steady revenue for contractors: food suppliers, medical providers, transportation companies, telecom firms, commissary vendors, and more.
Private prison corporations like GEO Group and CoreCivic are the most visible players, but they are only part of a broader system of deals and subcontracts that spread across towns and counties. Local governments often enter agreements that tie a facility’s budget—and sometimes a community’s jobs—to detention contracts.
Hiemstra argues that once this money flows, it becomes hard to unwind. The result is a cycle:
- Institutions begin to depend on detention dollars.
- Pressure grows to keep beds filled.
- Expansion follows when federal demand rises.
That cycle, she says, normalizes detention—making it seem routine despite strong social and moral concerns. The book challenges the common claim that detention is required to manage migration or keep the public safe. Hiemstra maintains it generates insecurities and harms migrant communities while sending steady payments to a complex set of stakeholders.
Scholars and advocacy groups share those fears, warning that mass detention can dehumanize people seeking safety or a better life.
Federal records show the scale. The United States has kept the world’s largest immigrant detention system for decades, built up over many administrations. The return of aggressive enforcement in 2025 has pressed the system to expand again, with facilities topping previous highs. For official data, see U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: https://www.ice.gov/detention-statistics.
Budgets, Capacity, and Political Will
Budget lines tell the story as clearly as head counts. Lawmakers and the current administration have pushed for billions more to add beds and staffing, fitting a wider move to speed arrests and custody under President Trump. Hiemstra’s work places those choices within a longer arc: since the 1990s, immigration enforcement has leaned more on detention and deportation, and each rise in funding builds new contracts, facilities, and expectations that are hard to reverse.
Capacity gains have been dramatic:
| Year | Detention Capacity / Counts |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 6,785 beds |
| 2024 | 41,500+ beds |
| Mid-2025 | 56,000+ people held |
| April 6, 2025 | 47,928 in custody |
| January 2025 | 39,703 in custody |
Such spikes strain existing sites, pushing the use of varied facility types and accelerating plans for new centers to house growing numbers.
Hiemstra’s research also shows how contracts shape policy. When counties and companies depend on detention income, they tend to support:
- Longer contract terms
- Higher per-diem rates
- Expansion plans that promise fiscal stability
This creates built-in resistance to reforms that would reduce detention—such as expanded release programs or community-based alternatives. The web of interests can influence Capitol Hill, where some lawmakers present detention growth as a practical necessity even as critics say it does not deter migration or improve security.
What Comes Next in 2025
Given current budget proposals and enforcement priorities, Hiemstra expects more growth in the short term. She and Conlon compiled a decade of research into Immigration Detention Inc. (Pluto Press), released in June 2025, and have hosted public events in New York City with plans for talks in Washington, D.C. Their aim is to widen the debate over how money steers policy.
Hiemstra is available for academic and public talks and can be reached at Stony Brook University: [email protected].
The authors argue the country needs to ask whether the goals of immigrant detention match its human cost and fiscal footprint. Their work concludes the system’s growth reflects financial incentives as much as policy choices, and that this mix can blunt calls for change. Advocacy groups and scholars echo that concern, pointing to a pattern in which more funds lead to more beds, which then demand even more funds.
Key markers to watch in the months ahead
- Appropriations totals for detention in the next federal budget cycle
- Average daily population figures and weekly counts posted by ICE
- New facility contracts with local governments and private operators
These markers will show whether the system keeps expanding or levels off. According to VisaVerge.com, close attention to budget hearings, contract renewals, and detention population updates will help communities, attorneys, and service groups plan for the rest of 2025.
Hiemstra’s broader message: immigrant detention reshapes social life, narrows public debate, and alters national identity by making custody seem ordinary. That acceptance, she warns, grows from the steady march of contracts, jobs, and vendor ties built into the system.
Her call to policymakers is clear: weigh the claimed benefits of detention against the harms to migrants and the financial commitments that lock in future growth.
With 56,000+ people in custody by mid-2025, rising budgets, and strong political backing, immigrant detention is set to remain a central—and profitable—pillar of U.S. immigration control.
This Article in a Nutshell
In 2025 the U.S. immigrant detention system surged again, with 56,000+ detained. Nancy Hiemstra shows money fuels expansion, entangling private prisons, local governments, and vendors. Her research argues detention operates as a market, creating economic incentives that normalize custody and resist reforms despite social and human costs.
