ICE accidentally exposes masterminds behind 'mega' plan in leaked PDF blunder

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement appeared to accidentally expose the masterminds behind its massive detention center overhaul, according to a new report.

A PDF document provided to Gov. Kelly Ayotte's (R-NH) office about ICE's sprawling "Detention Reengineering Initiative" contained embedded metadata and comments that named names, Wired reported Friday. Jonathan Florentino, director of ICE's Newark Field Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, was listed as the author.

Hidden comments revealed internal conversations about the "mega" detention scheme.

In one exchange, Tim Kaiser, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, asked former GEO Group executive David Venturella to "Please confirm" that detainees would stay an average of 60 days. Venturella's response was left visible in the published document.

“Ideally, I'd like to see a 30-day average for the Mega Center but 60 is fine,” he said.

ICE plans a nationwide network of detention centers, with 7,000 to 10,000-bed mega facilities feeding smaller regional hubs across at least 150 locations. The expansion aims to support 12,000 newly hired ICE officers and a surge in 2026 arrests and removals.

"The document itself says that ICE intends to update a new detention model by the end of September of this year. ICE says it will create 'an efficient detention network by reducing the total number of contracted detention facilities in use while increasing total bed capacity, enhancing custody management, and streamlining removal operations,'" the report said.

Communities have expressed fury, as hundreds have packed town halls in Arizona and Georgia to protest.