DHS, ICE Expanding in Commercial Real Estate at Full Tilt

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may be toning down operations in Minneapolis, but the agencies continue to lease commercial space at a high velocity.

While headlines in local and national outlets have provided details on warehouses being rented out across the country for conversion to immigrant detention centers, Wired on Tuesday published findings from an investigation that showed ICE had signed up to 150 office leases and expansions with the help of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which manages the federal government’s non-military real estate.

Brokers from major firms like CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL and Newmark have acted on behalf of landlords in both successful and unsuccessful deals for the industrial properties, but it was not immediately clear who was working on behalf of the government tenants.

These brokerages, and those listed as leasing agents for properties getting media attention, declined to speak on the topic.

But the GSA has been involved on some level since at least September, when NPR and The Washington Post reported that many of its employees had been added to an “ICE surge” team.

The GSA did not immediately provide details on what kind of properties and locations best serve the needs of the ICE agency, their space requirements, or any information regarding any outside brokers in the effort.

But Wired reported that the Public Buildings Service branch within the GSA that directly handles leasing is the key force behind the major lease-up operation.

What is clear is that ICE, which received $80 billion in funding from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, facilitated a manpower boost to double its agents to 22,000, and the expansion of its office locations alone is a major leap from the 25 field offices in place when Trump took office at the beginning of 2025, Wired reported.

One of the new ICE field offices is on Long Island near a passport center, for example.

“GSA is committed to working with all of our partner agencies, including our patriotic law enforcement partners such as ICE, to meet their workspace needs. GSA remains focused on supporting this administration’s goal of optimizing the federal footprint, and providing the best workplaces for our federal agencies to meet their mission,”a GSA spokesperson said in a statement. “GSA is following all lease procurement procedures in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”

At least some of the DHS’s space needs are set aside for its Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, which had planned to hire 3,500 attorneys and 1,000 support staff as of a September 2025 memo.

ICE asked the GSA to find locations with secure entryway systems that have interlocking doors, often used by military and law enforcement, and that they be no more than 10 miles from the nearest Enforcement and Removal Operations facility.

Up to 25 cities were specified for new ICE offices throughout the U.S. with Long Island being the nearest to New York City. A Trump administration official told Wired that New York and California will be targeted for similar enforcement operations to what has taken place in Minneapolis.

In terms of its expansions in the industrial sector, DHS said that it is not only leasing but also purchasing large blocks of warehouse space and partnering with state governments in some capacity to grow its footprint.

Detention centers such as Alligator Alcatraz, Louisiana Lockup, Cornhusker Clink and Speedway Slammer were just a few examples provided to Commercial Observer of how DHS is modeling its prison buildout.

DHS was able to grow its industrial footprint in a period of days through acquisitions and partnerships, the agency said, and save taxpayer money in the process.

“These will not be warehouses — they will be very well-structured detention facilities meeting our regular detention standards,” a DHS spokesperson said in an email. “Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. It should not come as news that ICE will be making arrests in states across the U.S. and is actively working to expand detention space.”

In one case, a deal between property owners and DHS to either buy or lease a warehouse at 2800 South Council Road in Oklahoma City, Okla., fell through, much to the relief of the local mayor.

“The owners of the property at 2800 South Council Road confirmed to me this morning that they are no longer engaged with the Department of Homeland Security about a potential acquisition or lease of this property,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said in a statement. “I commend the owners for their decision and thank them on behalf of the people of Oklahoma City. As mayor, I ask that every single property owner in Oklahoma City exhibit the same concern for our community in the days ahead.”

Newmark, which was marketing the property, did not respond to a request for comment.

It’s unclear who owns the property.

Trammell Crow, a subsidiary of CBRE, also may sell upward of 217,000 square feet of warehouse space at 50 Robert Milligan Parkway in Merrimack, N.H., to hold 500 people, with C&W’s Thomas Farrelly and his team representing the landlord, according to local reports and a listing flyer.

The Ritner Logistics Center at 3501 Mountain Road in Upper Bern, Pa., was also sold to ICE by commercial real estate lender PCCP for $87.4 million and was marketed by JLL prior to the sale. The facility spans 520,000 square feet and could house up to 1,500 detainees, according to Spotlight PA.

CBRE was involved in the $70 million sale on behalf of Rockefeller Group of 13290 West Sweetwater Avenue in Surprise, Ariz., which will be turned into a 1,500-bed detention center as well.

PCCP and Rockefeller Group did not respond to requests for comment.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.