News from TRAC

Immigrant Detention Numbers Down at End of Title 42

(22 May 2023) The most recent data released to the public by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show that the number of immigrants in detention facilities and those in ICE's electronic monitoring program known as Alternatives to Detention (ATD) are down as Title 42 came to a close on May 11. Title 42 was a pandemic-era policy first put in place by the Trump administration and extended by the Biden administration which allowed border officers to turn all migrants back at the border.

The number of migrants in detention at the start of May totaled 21,293, the lowest since January, with declines coming from lower-than-usual numbers of detained people coming from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. The most recent numbers show that 11,862 people in detention were arrested by CBP, the lowest total provided in one of ICE's data updates since May 2021. Texas and Louisiana house the most immigrants, with Texas holding 9,882 out of the 21,293 total and Louisiana holding 4,482. Third is California with 1,779 detainees.

The number of migrants in ICE's ATD electronic monitoring program also continued its slow but steady decline. On May 6, a total of 242,418 immigrants were monitored by ICE, down from 253,146 on April 22. The total had reached a high of 377,980 in December 2022. ICE recently announced that it is currently testing wrist-worn GPS monitors through the Denver office, but these data have not made it into the agency's reporting yet.

Highlights from data updated in TRAC's Quick Fact tool show that:

Immigration and Customs Enforcement held 21,293 in ICE detention according to data current as of May 7, 2023.
10,944 out of 21,293—or 51.4%—held in ICE detention have no criminal record, according to data current as of May 7, 2023. Many more have only minor offenses, including traffic violations.
ICE relied on detention facilities in Texas to house the most people during FY 2023, according to data current as of May 1, 2023.
ICE arrested 7,070 and CBP arrested 11,869 of the 18,939 people booked into detention by ICE during April 2023.
South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas held the largest number of ICE detainees so far in FY 2023, averaging 1,341 per day (as of May 2023).
ICE Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs are currently monitoring 242,418 families and single individuals, according to data current as of May 6, 2023.
Harlingen's area office has highest number in ICE's Alternatives to Detention (ATD) monitoring programs, according to data current as of May 6, 2023.

For more information, see TRAC's Quick Facts tools here or click here to learn more about TRAC's entire suite of immigration tools.

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