The Government Accountability Office on Thursday reported that inspections of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities have changed as the detention system expanded, and said ICE has not assessed how those changes affect oversight.
The GAO said the number of facilities and the detained population have grown since fiscal year 2024. It said inspections by Department of Homeland Security entities have shifted at the same time, with reduced frequency in some cases and greater reliance on facility self-inspections. ICE depends on these reviews to identify problems in areas such as medical care and food service, according to the report.
From April 2025 to April 2026, after a January 2025 executive order, ICE added over 40 detention facilities that hold noncitizens for more than 72 hours, the GAO found. Over the same period, the GAO found the average daily population of detained noncitizens increased by more than 50 percent, reaching 61,817. Between fiscal 2024 and July 2026, three of the four DHS entities that conducted inspections either changed how often they inspected or stopped conducting inspections, according to the report.
The GAO said ICE has not used evidence—such as data on deficiencies found during inspections and performance information on contract compliance—to assess how these changes affect conditions in facilities. The report said that by using data and other performance information to evaluate the impact of the changes and whether, taken together, they are sufficient, and then applying the results to improve oversight, ICE could better ensure facilities meet its detention standards.
GAO said it conducted the review to examine compliance with detention standards and related oversight. It reviewed documentation on oversight mechanisms and their changes between fiscal year 2024 and July 2026, analyzed ICE data on facilities and average daily population from April 2025 to April 2026, and interviewed DHS officials responsible for oversight.
GAO made two recommendations to ICE: use data and performance information to evaluate the effects of changes to inspections by DHS entities and whether the inspections are collectively sufficient to identify deficiencies, and modify ICE’s own inspections based on those findings, as appropriate. The Department of Homeland Security concurred with the recommendations. Both recommendations are open. GAO said it will provide updates when actions are confirmed.
The report was published Nov. 5, 2026.
