ICE makes major move on detaining illegal immigrants in heart of blue state

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is making moves to detain illegal immigrants as the Trump administration looks to expand its arrest and deportation operations throughout the United States.

ICE announced the “imminent reopening” of the Delaney Hall facility in Newark, N.J. The agency said it has reached an agreement with the facility’s owner to re-establish a processing and detention center, which can accommodate up to 1,000 beds.

“This detention center is the first to open under the new administration,” acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello said in a statement. 

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“The location near an international airport streamlines logistics and helps facilitate the timely processing of individuals in our custody as we pursue President Trump’s mandate to arrest, detain and remove illegal aliens from our communities,” he said.

The agency said the facility will expand the capacity in the Northeast and increase the agency’s ability to manage a “growing” enforcement and removal operation in the region.

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It comes after interior ICE arrests have skyrocketed compared to Biden-era numbers as the agency seeks to launch a “historic” deportation campaign promised by the Trump campaign.

Fox reported this month that Department of Homeland Security data showed 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan 20 to Feb 8, compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. That is a 137% increase.

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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has since said that over 20,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in a single month under the new administration.

The administration has sought to unleash ICE agents by removing restrictions placed on them by the Biden administration, and ending Temporary Protected Status for some nationalities.

It has also taken off limits on the use of expedited removal and allowed for ICE to review the parole status of migrants brought in via humanitarian parole, opening them up for deportation.

The administration has been making agreements with other nations to take back their illegal immigrants or ramp up their own border security efforts.

Fox News Digital reported earlier this month that ICE has just under 42,000 beds available to it and that it has been exceeding capacity under the current administration. 

The Trump administration has been pushing hard to obtain more beds and detention space, but sources told Fox News Digital that it typically takes around 30 days for contractors to deliver, due to the time necessary to identify buildings, hire people and conduct background checks and related requirements.