With $45 billion earmarked for the Trump administration’s expansion of immigration detention, dozens of companies are gunning for contracts to build the sprawling tent camps at the center of the White House’s strategy. Some are prison operators that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement typically works with; many are firms with no detention experience.

Their appeal: They can build things fast. Several specialize in building tents for disaster-relief operations, including the Virginia-based company recently awarded $1.26 billion to construct the largest facility in the US. The administration’s reliance on makeshift tent camps is drawing concerns about abuse, mismanagement and corruption. Human-rights groups and lawyers for detainees have already alleged inhumane conditions at “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades, which the state denies. Read more from Rachel Adams-Heard, Sophie Alexander and Fola Akinnibi today on Businessweek: Companies With No Detention Experience Want to Run Trump’s ICE Camps

— Arvelisse Bonilla Ramos

More on CityLab

We Need a Reality Check on Crime, Safety and Transit
Despite common assumptions, traveling by bus, subway or train is far safer than driving. How can transit agencies correct misinformation about the real risks?

Neom’s Desert Ski Resort Strains Saudi Prince’s $1.5 Trillion Plan
Trojena is designated to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. But set in a region with little snowfall, it’s emerging as a great challenge to MBS’s flagship project.

A Water Crisis in Bulgaria Is a Warning for Europe
Taps running dry are part of life in Bulgaria — and a cautionary tale for the rest of Europe grappling with climate change.

• Why do US train stations look so depressing? (BBC)

• I live where DC crime actually happens. Here’s what Trump is missing (Mother Jones)

• Living in the shadows: Why stateless people fear Trump's immigration crackdown (NPR)

• “Why would you take away a parking place?”: the city where anyone can build an urban oasis (Guardian)

• Struggling to get in your daily steps? It may be your city’s fault (Grist)

• Economics Daily for what the changing landscape means for policymakers, investors and you
• Green Daily for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance
• Hyperdrive for expert insight into the future of cars
• Design Edition for CityLab’s newsletter on design and architecture — and the people who make buildings happen
• Management & Work analyzes trends in leadership, company culture and the art of career building

Explore all Bloomberg newsletters.