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GAO finds unused tents, uneaten food in immigration crackdown

newsSep 25, 202619497

The Government Accountability Office said Thursday that Trump-era efforts to rapidly expand immigration detention squandered tens of millions of dollars, citing unused tents, uneaten food, and unneeded warehouse purchases. The GAO flagged nearly $3 million spent on tents to house migrants at Guantánamo Bay that were never used and about $10 million tied to those tents and unconsumed food. The watchdog also counted roughly $20 million in fees and costs for warehouses acquired to boost capacity, and noted ICE bought multiple warehouses without a strategic plan to operate them. Congressional investigators warned the total waste could grow as GAO continued reviewing six related programs. The report leaves ICE holding properties it now must sell and gives lawmakers new, specific grounds to demand accountability and oversight.

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