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ICE prison population returns to pre-pandemic levels

Six months into the Biden administration, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is holding as many people as it did before the Covid-19 pandemic sharply curtailed prison populations. In early July 2021, ICE held more people on an average day in its prison network than at any time since April 2020.

ICE records detention data using the federal government's fiscal year which begins October 1. According to the agency’s data, ICE held an average daily population of 27,292 people as of July 3, 2021. This is a substantial increase from the agency’s average daily population of 15,105 people in January 2021, the lowest figure reported during the Trump administration. In February 2021, ICE held even fewer people on an average day. That month, its average daily population bottomed out at 14,091 people. It has been growing ever since.

Early on, the Biden administration announced a series of executive actions and policy shifts meant to signal a sharp break from its predecessor. So far, ICE’s confinement practices are nowhere near records that the agency set under President Trump. Still, it’s not clear to me that the upward trajectory of the Biden administration’s first half year has an obvious endpoint other than funding (H.R. 4431, currently pending in Congress, would reportedly fund about 28,500 beds per day). Indeed, in April I wrote, "I expect the current trajectory to return ICE’s prison population to the Trump era low and continue past it." At its current growth rate, ICE is likely to return to Obama era population counts by the end of 2021.

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Posted by César on July 21, 2021 on 11:35 am 5 Comments
Filed Under: Uncategorized

Comments

  1. Maurice says

    July 21, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    What I’m missing in reading this article is where is the surge of migrants being detained that reflect the increase in detainees. In other words, I’d like to see a breakdown of the states/jurisdictions and their individual populations during this period. I’d appreciate any insight. Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • admin says

      July 21, 2021 at 2:22 pm

      Maurice, ICE does disclose population figures by detention facility and, in turn, lists the location of each facility. You can find that at the data link above but also here: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/detention/FY21_detentionStats07082021.xlsx (tab 4).

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Illinois advocates cheer law ending ICE detention in state, urge Congress to act on permanent relief – Political Jason says:
    August 5, 2021 at 10:02 pm

    […] That report importantly notes that advocates have expressed concerns over what happens to the immigrants currently being detained at these local jails. While opposing this sort of legislation in the past, ICE officials have cautioned (isn’t that nice of them?) states that they’ll be forced to detain immigrants far away from their families and attorneys. But ICE doesn’t have to detain them in the first place. During the pandemic, ICE was allowing some immigrants to shelter in their own homes and communities. Unfortunately, the ICE population has again escalated.  […]

    Reply
  2. Illinois advocates cheer law ending ICE detention in state, urge Congress to act on permanent relief - Pushy Politics says:
    August 6, 2021 at 3:13 am

    […] That report importantly notes that advocates have expressed issues over what occurs to the immigrants at the moment being detained at these native jails. Whereas opposing this form of laws prior to now, ICE officers have cautioned (isn’t that good of them?) states that they’ll be compelled to detain immigrants far-off from their households and attorneys. However ICE doesn’t must detain them within the first place. Through the pandemic, ICE was permitting some immigrants to shelter in their very own properties and communities. Unfortunately, the ICE population has again escalated.  […]

    Reply
  3. While ICE has finally ramped up vaccination efforts, not detaining immigrants is still best route – Political Jason says:
    August 18, 2021 at 10:02 pm

    […] ICE has every ability to do this. But after court orders initially allowed some to do that, ICE again began to detain immigrants at alarming rates. With ICE having no nationwide vaccination plan in place at the time, positive cases skyrocketed, […]

    Reply

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