ICE Facility Planning Underway in Charlotte, Atlanta, San Antonio, and Nashville
Four task orders issued since October mark early steps in multi-year facilities pipeline
Federal contracting records show the General Services Administration has authorized real estate brokers to begin scouting Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Charlotte, Atlanta, San Antonio, and Nashville.
Four task orders issued between late October and mid-December direct the contractor, Public Properties LLC, to identify sites and negotiate leases for ICE administrative operations and immigration court space. The orders, visible in USAspending.gov filings, carry placeholder $1 obligations common in federal brokerage contracts. Performance periods extend into 2027 and 2028.
The task orders signal continued expansion of ICE’s operational footprint in key metros, building on infrastructure growth that accelerated following passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. They follow a yearlong pattern of GSA issuing Requests for Lease Proposals nationwide seeking move-in-ready office space for law enforcement operations.
What the records show
Four brokerage task orders issued for ICE and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in Charlotte, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; San Antonio, Texas; and Nashville, Tenn.
Public Properties LLC received all four contracts under a pre-existing federal agreement that allows GSA to assign individual projects without new competitive bidding
Orders were issued between October and December 2024, with performance periods extending through 2027-2028
Each order carries a $1 placeholder obligation, with actual lease costs to appear in future contract modifications
What this means
Brokerage task orders establish federal authority to search for buildings and negotiate terms. They typically precede public lease solicitations by several months. Actual lease costs will appear later as separate awards once specific buildings are selected.
These orders indicate ICE has prioritized these four metros for operational expansion. The timing aligns with broader GSA leasing activity supporting immigration enforcement infrastructure across dozens of U.S. cities.
About the contractor
Public Properties LLC is a Washington, D.C.-based firm that specializes exclusively in federal real estate transactions. Founded in 1995, the company has completed more than 6.5 million square feet of government lease deals with a total project value of approximately $3 billion across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, according to the firm’s website.
The company holds active leasing projects in 24 states and Puerto Rico and works with federal agencies, property owners, and institutional investors on lease structuring and procurement. Its work focuses on matching government space requirements with available commercial properties and negotiating lease terms under federal procurement rules.
About the projects
The Nashville task order explicitly names the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Department of Justice agency that operates the nation’s immigration court system. EOIR handles deportation proceedings and asylum hearings separate from ICE’s enforcement operations.
The other three orders name only ICE, but follow the same contracting pattern and timeline—suggesting coordinated planning for related facilities. The similar timing and contract structure across all four task orders suggests coordinated facilities planning for related operations.
Existing ICE presence and recent developments
All four cities already host DHS field offices. Atlanta houses a major field office responsible for Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, while Charlotte operates a check-in office under Atlanta’s jurisdiction. San Antonio has a field office with both enforcement and investigative units, and Nashville maintains an office covering middle Tennessee and parts of Kentucky.
The new brokerage contracts suggest ICE is seeking additional administrative capacity beyond these existing enforcement locations. Nashville’s task order explicitly names the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the Department of Justice agency that operates the nation’s immigration court system and handles deportation proceedings and asylum hearings.
The timing coincides with broader immigration enforcement expansion. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced plans for a new “vetting center” in Atlanta with authority to re-investigate previously approved immigration cases—a departure from standard practice that could affect an estimated 3 to 4 million people. That facility will use artificial intelligence and classified databases to conduct reviews of both pending and already-approved applications, including green cards and asylum approvals granted years earlier.
What happens next
Federal leasing typically advances over 6 to 18 months from initial brokerage contracts to signed leases. During that time, several public indicators could emerge in the impacted cities:
Zoning filings naming federal tenants or controlled-access requirements
City council items referencing federal leases or coordination
Construction permits for access control systems or courtroom-style build-outs
GSA lease awards with building addresses, square footage, and rent obligations
Final lease awards naming specific buildings will confirm where ICE establishes new operations in these four cities.