ICE Using Military Contracting Tool (WEXMAC) to Convert Buildings Into Detention Centers — Bypassing Normal Public Input Requirements

Marketplace reported on May 5, 2026 that ICE is using WEXMAC — a military contracting vehicle designed for rapid wartime acquisition — to scout and convert existing buildings into immigration detention facilities across the United States. DHS hired brokerage firm SK2 to act as the government's agent in identifying and leasing properties, with conversions documented in Maryland, Michigan, and Pennsylvania among other states. WEXMAC enables ICE to move substantially faster than standard General Services Administration procurement, bypassing the standard public comment and environmental review processes that would typically accompany the construction or establishment of new detention facilities. The use of a military acquisition tool for civil immigration detention reflects the broader militarization of immigration enforcement under the Trump second term and the urgency of achieving the administration's stated 100,000-bed detention capacity target for fall 2026. The report follows the $70 billion immigration enforcement reconciliation package passed by the House on April 30 to fund detention expansion. Community groups in areas where ICE is converting buildings complained that they had no advance notice and no meaningful opportunity to object or participate in decision-making before facilities became operational.