The sharp growth in the ATD population in 2022 and recent decline in 2023 are driven primarily by ATD enrollments in two of ICE’s regional areas of responsibility (AOR) that are based in San Antonio, Texas, and Harlingen, Texas. Two years ago, in the middle of September 2021, ICE’s San Antonio office reported a total ATD population of 12,435. Their numbers climbed to 60,159 at the end of December of 2022 before dropping again to 14,374 according to the latest data.

ICE did not have a Harlingen office for which to report ATD numbers until November 2021. But after the Harlingen office was added to ICE’s ATD reporting, it reached an ATD population total high of 76,345 before declining to 15,292 according to the latest data. Many other ICE AOR’s saw growth and decline over this time period, but none as significant as these two AORs. Currently, ICE’s San Francisco AOR monitors the largest number of immigrants on ATD, 18,815 in total.

Although ICE releases these figures regularly (typically every two weeks) as part of their detention data spreadsheet as required by Congress, the agency does not maintain a public archive of its data release. However, TRAC saves these historical ATD data and makes them available under our Quick Facts pages on our website.

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

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement held 35,289 in ICE detention according to data current as of September 24, 2023.

• 24,249 out of 35,289—or 68.7%—held in ICE detention have no criminal record, according to data current as of September 24, 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 September 18, 2023.

• ICE arrested 7,139 and CBP arrested 21,944 of the 29,083 people booked into detention by ICE during August 2023.

• South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas held the largest number of ICE detainees so far in FY 2023, averaging 1,287 per day (as of August 2023).

• ICE Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs are currently monitoring 194,632 families and single individuals, according to data current as of September 23, 2023.

• San Francisco's area office has highest number in ICE's Alternatives to Detention (ATD) monitoring programs, according to data current as of September 23, 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.

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