From 40,000 to 70,000: U.S. Expands Immigrant Detention Under Trump Policy

TL;DR Summary
Two conservative Fifth Circuit judges approved the Trump administration’s mass-detention policy, enabling detention without bond for large numbers of noncitizens. The policy coincides with a surge to about 70,000 detainees across 224 facilities (including children) and a push to expand detention through private contractors and planned mega-centers. The piece collates reporting on legal challenges, deteriorating detainee medical care after ICE halted payments, and scrutiny of detention facilities, while noting local opposition and warnings from history about state-run camps.
- February 7, 2026 Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack
- Appeals court backs Trump’s mass detention policy Politico
- Appeals court affirms Trump policy of jailing immigrants without bond AP News
- Appeals court greenlights Trump admin policy of detaining undocumented immigrants without opportunity to seek release cnn.com
- Appeals court endorses Trump policy of holding many ICE detainees without bond hearings cbsnews.com
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Read on Letters from an American | Heather Cox Richardson | Substack