ICE Plans Major Arizona Detention Expansion Amid Trump Deportation Push

(ARIZONA) ICE is moving to dramatically expand immigration detention across Arizona in 2025, adding more than 1,200 new detention beds and tapping facilities that have never before housed immigration detainees. The rapid build-up—part of President Trump’s nationwide deportation drive—comes as ICE aims to double national detention capacity to over 107,000 beds this year, up from 54,500 in January and 66,000 in July.

In Arizona, newly targeted sites include Maricopa County Jail in Phoenix and the Marana Correctional Facility outside Tucson, alongside an expansion at the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center south of Phoenix.

Funding and capacity in Arizona

A sweeping budget approved on July 1, 2025 supercharged detention growth. Congress authorized $45 billion for new immigration detention centers and $29.9 billion for ICE enforcement and deportation operations—amounting to a 265% surge in the detention budget and a threefold jump in enforcement funding.

Officials say the package enables the daily detention of at least 116,000 non-citizens nationwide, with Arizona set to receive a substantial share. Private prison companies, including CoreCivic and Management & Training Corp. (MTC), are central to the effort, with ICE actively soliciting new contracts and expanding existing ones.

• CoreCivic’s Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center is adding beds as part of the statewide build-out.
• The Marana Correctional Facility—sold back to MTC for $15 million in July—is preparing to reopen under an expected ICE contract that could expand its capacity from 500 to 1,000 beds.
• ICE’s Phoenix Enforcement and Removal Operations reports a sharp increase in arrests, which the agency says is driving the need for more space.

Fernando X. Burgos Ortiz, spokesperson for ICE Phoenix, has confirmed ramped-up enforcement and the need for expanded detention, but has declined to comment on specific sites until contracts are finalized. CoreCivic and MTC both say they are cooperating with ICE but refer capacity questions to the agency.

The inclusion of Maricopa County Jail marks a major shift. The county lockup has not previously been used for ICE detention, but it now sits on ICE’s list of facilities under consideration as the agency works to place new detention beds quickly. Arizona’s growing role places the state among the top five for ICE detention capacity in the United States 🇺🇸.

Community impact, oversight, and concerns

Local oversight remains a core worry. Jordan Garcia of the American Friends Service Committee warns that once a federal contract is signed, “local communities lose control,” fueling frustration and leaving residents with few tools to monitor conditions or push for changes.

Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, argue that expanded detention heightens risks of dangerous, inhumane conditions, citing persistent medical neglect and rights violations in similar facilities. They also point to constitutional concerns—especially due process and the risk of arbitrary detention—that tend to intensify when capacity surges faster than staffing and oversight.

Supporters of the expansion, including State Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills), say larger detention capacity will:

• Speed up removals
• Strengthen deterrence
• Help ICE transfer people promptly and reduce release rates

Advocates counter that the policy will harm families and strain local systems. Adriel Orozco of the American Immigration Council calls the expansion short-sighted and harmful, urging investment in due process and family unity instead of more jail beds.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, Arizona’s plan mirrors a broader national strategy to widen detention pipelines while fast-tracking deportations through large-scale contracts with public and private operators.

Enforcement patterns and human impact

On the ground, arrests are rising. ICE reports a surge in Phoenix-area enforcement, and Arizona residents — including long-term immigrants with no criminal history — are being picked up during routine check-ins and targeted operations.

Advocates note that in President Trump’s second term, enforcement has expanded into sensitive locations such as:

• Schools
• Hospitals
• Places of worship

These actions have triggered fears of family separation and made many households cautious about everyday tasks.

Economic and social effects

The economic fallout could be wide. Mass deportations and detentions threaten millions of jobs in Arizona’s:

• Agriculture
• Construction
• Hospitality sectors

Business owners describe growing uncertainty over labor supply and possible disruptions during peak seasons. While supporters say tighter enforcement will restore the rule of law, local chambers and service providers warn of costs to communities when wage earners are detained or removed.

How the expansion typically unfolds

As ICE moves to open and expand facilities, the process tends to unfold quickly:

1. ICE issues Requests for Information (RFI) and solicits bids from public and private operators for new or expanded sites.
2. Facilities are identified, contracts negotiated, and local authorities notified—often after decisions are largely set.
3. Contracts are signed; operators retrofit or expand buildings to meet ICE standards and hire staff.
4. ICE transfers detainees into the new beds as enforcement operations ramp up.

Arizona’s list of affected sites continues to grow. In addition to the possible use of Maricopa County Jail, the Marana Correctional Facility is preparing for a restart under MTC, and the Central Arizona Florence complex is expanding under CoreCivic. The Eloy Detention Center, a longstanding ICE site run by CoreCivic, remains operational and is expected to play a continued role as the network scales.

Legal actions, public opinion, and resources

Legal battles are already underway. The ACLU and other groups are pursuing FOIA litigation and lawsuits focused on detention conditions and due process.

Public opinion has been divided: early 2025 polling showed majority support for deportations, but concern has grown as the scale of enforcement and the human cost become more visible. Advocates emphasize that local governments have limited authority once ICE contracts are active, which complicates efforts to improve conditions or respond to community complaints.

People seeking information about a detained family member in Arizona can contact ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations through the agency’s Phoenix Field Office page at https://www.ice.gov/contact/field-offices/ero/phoenix.

• The American Immigration Council and the ACLU of Arizona offer legal resources.
• CoreCivic and MTC provide information about facility operations and hiring.

Families report that prompt contact with counsel can help clarify a relative’s location and next steps in removal proceedings, although advocates stress that increased transfers between facilities can disrupt legal access.

Important takeaway: Once federal contracts are active, local oversight and control are limited—making monitoring conditions and protecting detainee rights more difficult.

Looking ahead

ICE plans to continue expanding capacity through 2025 and into 2026, adding detention beds across Arizona and other states as new contracts are signed and older facilities are retrofitted. With funding at historic levels, the current build-out represents the largest expansion of immigration detention infrastructure in Arizona’s history, and among the largest nationally.

Even supporters acknowledge that the ramp-up requires sustained staffing and compliance efforts; critics maintain that no amount of funding can fix the harms they associate with large-scale detention.

What happens next in Arizona will shape daily life for thousands of families, county governments, and employers. For now, the message from Washington is clear: more enforcement, more transfers, and more beds—at Maricopa County Jail, at Marana, and across the state.