With the aim of strengthening President Donald Trump's plan to carry out the largest deportation of immigrants in history, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) purchased two of the largest immigration detention centers in California, in a transaction worth around $1.5 billion.

Through a statement, the prison company CoreCivic announced that it had separated from the Otay Mesa Detention Center, located on the border of California and Mexico; and the California City Detention Center, built in Kern County.

“We are pleased with the sale of these two mission-critical facilities to the company's government partner, demonstrating the value of the company's underlying real estate portfolio, while reflecting our role as a provider of flexible, long-term solutions to the government,” said Patrick Swindle, president and CEO of CoreCivic.

According to a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the purchase and sale operation occurred on July 2.

The Otay Mesa Detention Center has the capacity to set up 1,994 beds for detained immigrants and it meant a disbursement of $739.2 million dollars for DHS.

Regarding the California City Detention Center, it has the capacity to set up 2,560 beds and $732.6 million dollars were paid to acquire it.

Aside from the change of ownership suffered by the aforementioned detention centers for foreigners lacking legal status, CoreCivic contemplates the possibility of continuing to manage the daily operations in both facilities, as stipulated in current contracts with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).

While the contract with CoreCivic in California City expires in August 2027; The one related to Otay Mesa ends in December 2029, in both cases with a five-year renewal option.

Recently, Congress approved $170 billion dollars to strengthen and guarantee the operations of ICE, the Border Patrol and other federal immigration agencies in the two years remaining in Donald Trump's administration.