Here's How Much The Trump Administration's Mass Deportation Scheme Has Cost So Far

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Less than three months into President Donald Trump's second term, his mass deportation plan has already cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars

Trump's plan to curb illegal immigration includes deportation flights, the expansion of detention facilities such as the one at Guantanamo Bay, and the sending of thousands of troops to the border, among other measures.

So far, some $330 million have been spent by the administration, according to a U.S. official familiar with information briefed to Congress.

According to an ABC News report, the costs of securing the southern border are expected to continue to rise, as more than 10,000 active-duty troops remain deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border. As of March 12, military personnel have provided $328.5 million in support for Trump's border mission, which includes deportation flights and deployments.

Based on statements from the U.S. official who spoke to the outlet, $289.2 million of the total figure was allocated for border security operations, with the remaining $39.3 million spent on operations at Guantanamo Bay.

When Trump announced the reopening of Guantanamo Bay—a U.S. naval base on Cuba's southern coast used to hold suspected terrorists—he said the detention center had 30,000 beds to "detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people."

However, the costs at Guantanamo Bay are extremely high, given that only a few hundred people are being detained there. Despite Trump's claims that the facility could hold tens of thousands, tent cities built to house potential deportees can only hold 500 people. Investigations reveal these facilities have not been used due to failure to meet U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention standards, such as air conditioning.

One detainee told ABC News in February that his room had "cobwebs and a disgusting smell" and that he spent 10 days without a mattress. He added that detainees were allowed outside only twice in two weeks and were denied phone calls with their families.

"They give you food ... but it's like they don't give you any, [it's] very little food," he said. "There came a point where I would lick the plate. The food had no salt, but I would still eat it as if it were very tasty, because I was hungry."

On March 28, a delegation of Senate Democrats visited the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and criticized the conditions, as well as Trump's decision to spend millions of dollars a month running the facility. They called it "an insult to American taxpayers."

"President Trump could implement his immigration policies for a fraction of the cost by using existing ICE facilities in the U.S., but he is obsessed with the image of using Guantanamo, no matter the cost," said Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee in a statement.

With its own fleet of chartered aircraft for deportation flights, the cost for ICE to carry out such flights is about $8,577 per hour, according to its website. In contrast, flights to Guantanamo Bay are conducted on C-130J and C-17 aircraft, costing $20,000 and $28,500 per flight hour, respectively.

Amid elevated costs for detention facilities, troop deployments, and deportation flights, The Latin Times reported earlier this month that ICE informed Congress it is facing a nearly $2 billion budget shortfall for the fiscal year.