The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is on track to spend 75%, "if not more," of the $45 billion it was allocated for immigration detention by September 2026.
Jaclyn Rubio, executive director of the Homeland Security One Big Beautiful Bill Principal Executive Office, said Wednesday in downtown Phoenix that the funding originally meant to be executed over a number of years has been "front-loaded" and the department is on track to obligate the majority of the funds by the end of this fiscal year that ends on Sep. 30.
"We are really putting the accelerator on spending the money, getting it out there on contract and executing on these priorities," Rubio said during a panel about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the 2026 Border Security Exposition, an annual event that brings together federal and private enterprise leaders to enhance border security and safety.
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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025, set aside $45 billion to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for "single adult alien detention capacity and family residential center capacity," according to the federal law.
Outgoing acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said in an interview with ABC15 that the department is moving forward with opening an ICE detention center in Surprise.
The main sponsor of the Border Expo was Akima, a federal government contractor that provides services at the El Paso Camp East Montana immigration detention center. A report from the El Paso Times detailed the death of a detainee and fellow detainees describing an abusive environment.
The announcement comes as community members and local leaders in Arizona have raised concerns and voiced opposition to a potential immigration detention center in Marana and a stalled ICE facility in Surprise.
The planned ICE center in Surprise is delayed because of recent leadership changes, a lack of secured funding and a stop-work order that was put in place prior to Arizona suing to block the facility, according to DHS and public government contract records.
Outgoing acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said in an interview with ABC15 that the department is still moving forward with the facility.
In southern Arizona, the Tucson City Council unanimously voted May 5 to pass a resolution that formally opposed the use of the Arizona State Prison-Marana as an ICE detention facility.
ICE and Management and Training Corporation, the company that purchased the site suspected to become an ICE facility, have yet to confirm if the former prison will become an ICE detention center.
However, hundreds of community members and local leaders, including a Marana Town Council member and U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Arizona, have expressed opposition to the potential ICE detention center.
Republic reporter Elena Santa Cruz contributed to this reporting.
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