A number of tourists from European countries have been detained by ICE in recent weeks when attempting to enter the United States, their planned vacations instead turning into long stretches in detention. Experts say their arrests are an apparent escalation in enforcement action as President Donald Trump 's immigration crackdown rages on.

Local residents have voiced opposition for a number of reasons, including the shuttered prison’s history of violence and fears that immigrants could be released into the community.

A report from the Government Accountability Office found that ICE has regularly overspent in recent years, often pulling resources from other parts of DHS. Senator James Lankford