{
  "id": 9745871,
  "title": "ICE wasted millions in rapid push to expand detention capacity, watchdog finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/ice-wasted-millions-in-rapid-push-to-expand-detention-capacity",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-25T10:00:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-spending-detention-capacity-gao-report/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In January, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spent more money in a single day than it had during any period of President Trump's tenure, according to federal spending records. The agency advanced $1.07 billion to Chicago Title Insurance, with plans to convert 11 warehouses into detention centers, seven of which ICE now intends to sell. The remainder of the funds remained with the firm for months after the warehouse plan was abandoned. In July and August, ICE spent an additional $2.2 billion to purchase four detention facilities from CoreCivic, a private prison company. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that ICE's rushed expansion of detention capacity resulted in the waste of millions of taxpayer dollars. The agency failed to account for long-term costs in acquiring detention centers, leading to a loss of $20 million in unrecoverable costs from purchasing the unused warehouses. GAO concluded that $1.55 billion still sits with Chicago Title Insurance, as ICE continues its push to double the number of detention beds. ICE awarded several companies contracts worth a combined $10 billion to expand and construct new facilities. The watchdog recommended urgent planning to reduce further waste, while ICE stated it would produce a strategic plan by Aug. 31, 2027.",
  "summary": "With an unprecedented budget, ICE spent billions in a rush to expand its detention network, wasting millions in the process, the Government Accountability Office found.",
  "key_points": [
    "ICE spent $1.07 billion on Chicago Title Insurance for warehouse conversion in January.",
    "GAO report found $20 million in unrecoverable costs from unused warehouses.",
    "ICE awarded $10 billion in contracts for new facility expansion by Aug. 31, 2027."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}