In early October, the ICE surge team worked through the government shutdown, even as other critical government work was halted. Days after the shutdown began, the GSA is still giving out rentals. On October 6, 2025, a signed internal memorandum stated that the GSA must “approve all new housing lease determinations related to the ICE hiring surge,” due to “urgent” ICE space requirements and the alleged impact of delays on the agency’s ability to “meet critical immigration enforcement deadlines.”

On October 9, the same day Trump announced in a cabinet meeting that the government will make “permanent” cuts from “Democratic programs” during the shutdown, the GSA received a list from OPLA with requests for office locations, including expansions and new leases, in 41 cities across the country.

In a memorandum dated October 29, 2025, a representative from Homeland Security Investigations—one of the two major departments within ICE, along with ERO, and tasked with a wide variety of investigative work in cases from human trafficking to art theft—asked the GSA’s office of general counsel to participate in the nationwide lease acquisition of Dunusual acquisition and distribution by DHS. justification,” according to Trump’s immigration executive order.

“If HSI is unable to effectively take office in a timely manner, HSI will be adversely affected in achieving its mission—a mission that is inseparable from the Administration’s priority of protecting the American People Against Invasion,” the memorandum said.

In early November, according to documents seen by WIRED, 19 projects have been awarded to cities around the US, including Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Texas; Sacramento, California; and Tampa, Florida. Many projects are a few days away from being awarded in Miami, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and New Orleans, Louisiana, etc., and emergency requests for short-term space were made in eight cities, including Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; and Newark, New Jersey.

In documents viewed by WIRED, ICE repeatedly outlined its expansion into cities around the US. A September memorandum citing the “unique and compelling urgency” for office expansion said OPLA would “expand its legal operations” to Birmingham, Alabama; Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, and Tampa, Florida; Des Moines, Iowa; Boise, Idaho; Louisville, Kentucky; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Grand Rapids, Michigan; St. Louis, Missouri; Raleigh, North Carolina; Long Island, New York; Columbus, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Richmond, Virginia; Spokane, Washington and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The memorandum also stated that the existing offices are at maximum capacity and “will require additional space” to accommodate the new hires. At the time, the memo said OPLA had selected nearly 1,000 lawyers to be fired.

Months after the “surge” began, ICE’s expansion into American cities continues, according to documentation viewed by WIRED. The table below provides a detailed list of ICE’s planned lease locations as of January, and includes current ICE offices slated for expansion and new spaces the agency is preparing to occupy. This does not include the more than 100 planned ICE locations in several states—including California, New York, and New Jersey—where WIRED could not find every specific address.