U.S. bishops condemn detention mega‑centers as ‘deeply troubling’ plan

Catholic bishops are voicing their objection to a plan from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to increase capacity of migrant detention centers as President Donald Trump pushes forward with his mass deportation efforts.

An ICE document shared by Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte shows the agency intends to spend $38.3 billion from last year’s budget reconciliation bill to bolster detention space. ICE is considering an acquisition and renovation of eight large-scale detention centers, 16 processing facilities, and 10 “turnkey” facilities where ICE already operates.

The plan includes the purchase of warehouses for detention. The plan would increase bed capacity from about 70,000 to about 92,600.

“These plans are deeply troubling,” Bishop Brendan J. Cahill, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, said in a statement.

Cahill said: “The thought of holding thousands of families in massive warehouses should challenge the conscience of every American.”

Most people targeted by ICE for detention and deportation are likely to be Catholics in six out of 10 cases, according to a March 2025 joint report by the USCCB and World Relief. The report said nearly 1 in 5 U.S. Catholics (18%) are either at risk of deportation or live with someone who is.

“The federal government does not have a positive track record when it comes to detaining large numbers of people, especially families, and the proposed scale of these facilities is difficult to comprehend,” Cahill said. “The private prison industry is who stands to gain the most from this supercharging of immigration detention.”

Immigration advocates and clergy have cited inhumane conditions at ICE detention centers and sued federal officials to ensure constitutionally-guaranteed pastoral visits. The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly denied inhumane treatment.

“Whatever their immigration status, these are human beings created in the image and likeness of God, and this is a moral inflection point for our country,” the bishop added. “We implore the administration and Congress to lead with right reason, abandon this misuse of taxpayer funds, and to instead pursue a more just approach to immigration enforcement that truly respects human dignity, the sanctity of families, and religious liberty.”

The USCCB approved a special message in November 2025 that expressed unified opposition to “the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.” The message was approved 216-5.

“Last November, my brother bishops and I unequivocally opposed the indiscriminate mass deportation of people and raised concerns about existing conditions in detention centers,” he said. “We specifically highlighted a lack of access to pastoral care for detainees. On many occasions, we have also opposed the expansion of family detention, recognizing its harmful impacts on children in particular.”