Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is scaling back its daily detention population of illegal immigrants, as well as its use of "alternatives to detention" -- even as the Department of Homeland Security is dealing with a historic surge in illegal migration at the border.
In its Congressional Budget Justification for fiscal 2024, President Biden's DHS provided a budget overview for ICE and included information about its plans to reduce its adult ADP -- or average daily population.
In FY 2023, the ADP was 34,000. In the justification, ICE says it will reduce that ADP by 9,000 to 25,000, at a cost of $157.20 per bed.
ICE said that funding for 25,000 beds would still maintain "ICE’s ability to effectively manage its current detainee population flows."
"ICE retains the ability to apprehend, detain, and remove noncitizens that present a threat to national security, border security, and public safety. As noncitizens pass through immigration proceedings, sufficient and appropriate detention capacity provides ICE with adequate time and flexibility to gain custody of immigration law violators, ensure compliance with court procedures, and efficiently utilize transportation networks to remove priority individuals," the agency said.
