As mass deportations continue, ICE is eyeing a new California jail

SAN FRANCISCO – As the new Trump administration promises mass deportation unauthorized immigrants, federal authorities are looking for a new facility in California to hold migrant adults.

According to a federal document, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are seeking facilities to house between 850 and 950 people and are focusing on areas within two hours of regional field offices in San Francisco, which include outposts in Sacramento , San Jose and Bakersfield. possible locations.

CalMatters first reported ICE’s interest in opening a new center.

The agency’s desire to expand its immigration blocks dates back to before Trump was elected. Officials began collecting information in August, about a month after President Biden tightened the policy on asylum seekers at the Mexican border. In addition to California, ICE is considering new detention centers near Phoenix, El Paso and Seattle, according to the document.

“ICE has identified a need for immigration detention services in the U.S. Western Area of Responsibility,” agency spokesman Richard Beam told CalMatters.

According to ICE, the planned centers would add about 3,800 available beds — about a 10 percent increase from the current inmate population — and would house both men and women, ranging from low to high security. The agency said it is open to public or private sites and places that currently house other types of inmates, which could include county jails or commercial jails.

A half-dozen of the state’s existing ICE facilities are operated by private companies.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to launch the largest deportation operation in US history, though it’s not yet clear how he plans to carry it out or pay for it. Of the more than 11 million unauthorized immigrants believed to be living in the U.S., only about 38,000 are in ICE custody, according to agency website.

Elected officials in California are is being prepared to fight the Trump administration over migrant crackdowns. Lawyer. Gen. Rob Bonta last week reminded state agencies of a state law that limits cooperation between courts, hospitals, schools, universities and shelters with federal immigration authorities.

“No matter who is in the White House in California, we will continue to lead with California values,” Bonta said in a statement. “We cannot allow Trump’s deportation machine to create a culture of fear and mistrust that prevents immigrants from accessing vital public services.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.