WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Department of Homeland Security is pausing the intended to house immigrants as it scrutinizes all contracts signed under former Homeland Security Secretary , according to a senior Homeland Security official.
The development comes just days after the new , was sworn in last week to lead a department that was steeped in controversy during Noem’s tenure but also central to President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. 草莓传媒 of the pause was first reported by NBC 草莓传媒.
The official also said that warehouse purchases that were already made are also being scrutinized.
When asked about reports of the pause, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that 鈥渁s with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals.鈥�
The Department also noted that Mullin said during his confirmation hearing that he wanted to 鈥渨ork with community leaders” and 鈥渂e good partners.鈥�
inherited a $38.3 billion plan beds by acquiring eight large-scale detention centers, capable of housing 7,000 to 10,000 detainees each, and 16 smaller regional processing centers.
The plan was hatched during s tenure but immediately ran into intense opposition around the country by residents and communities opposed to such large Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in their neighborhoods.
Many objected on moral grounds to ICE’s presence in their neighborhoods, while others questioned whether the facilities would be a drain on local resources, such as sewer and water systems.
So far, 11 warehouses have been purchased in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah, with the federal government spending a combined $1.074 billion.
But lawsuits are pending in three of the states. Meanwhile, the capacity of at least one warehouse has been scaled back. Plans initially called for a warehouse in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise to be used as a 1,500-bed processing site, but Homeland Security now plans to cap occupied beds at 542, Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor said during a news conference on Monday.
In many cases, mayors, county commissioners, governors and members of Congress learned about ICE鈥檚 ambitions only after the agency bought or leased space for detainees, leading to shock and frustration even in areas that have backed Trump.
The warehouse plan ran into challenges from the start. Eight deals were scuttled in places like Kansas City, Missouri, when owners decided not to sell.
Pressed on the lack of information during his confirmation hearing, Mullin acknowledged there had been issues.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to protect the homeland and we鈥檙e going to do that,鈥� Mullin said. 鈥淏ut obviously we want to work with community leaders.鈥�
Mullin, who took over and expanded his family鈥檚 plumbing business before representing Oklahoma in the U.S House and Senate, said that 鈥渙ne thing I do know is construction.鈥�
He noted that most municipalities don鈥檛 have the capacity in their infrastructure for waste and water.
鈥淪o, it鈥檚 important that we鈥檙e talking to the communities and if we鈥檙e having additional needs, we can work with the cities,” he said at his confirmation hearing earlier this month.
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This story was first published on March 31, 2026. It was published again on April 1, 2026, to correct the last name of the mayor of Surprise, Arizona, is Sartor, not Sarter.
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Hollingsworth reported from Kansas City, Missouri.
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