What Happens Now to Kristi Noem’s Warehouse Jails?
By the time President Trump ousted Kristi Noem from the Department of Homeland Security earlier this month, her team had already embarked on a spending spree that included far more than the new luxury jet and the self-promotional ads that got her in trouble at the White House. Over the past several months, the department has purchased 11 large warehouses around the country that it plans to convert into megajails, some with space for up to 10,000 detainees. The acquisitions kicked off a $38 billion makeover of the detention system that has been overseen by Noem’s chief adviser and alleged lover, Corey Lewandowski. Trump set March 31 as Noem’s last day, and Lewandowski is expected to leave with her. (Both have denied an affair.) Their team has been racing to acquire properties and convert the warehouse sites, but two senior DHS officials with knowledge of the plan told me they now expect a slowdown—and that a “pause” wouldn’t be a bad thing. “They’ve had a ridiculous timeline to rush everything through,” said one of the …
