News from TRAC

Shifts in Arrest Authority Among Immigrants Detained by ICE: CBP Down, ICE Up

(16 Aug 2024) According to the most recent data released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), individuals arrested by ICE have steadily increased from 27 percent to 37 percent of the detainee population throughout fiscal year 2024. Meanwhile, the share of ICE detainees arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) fell to 63 percent, the lowest level since May 2023 and a decrease from the beginning of fiscal year 2024, when CBP conducted 73 percent of all arrests.

These shifts correspond with the Biden administration’s June proclamation to limit access to asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. This proclamation included a penalty that anyone attempting to illegally cross would then be generally ineligible for asylum. This was included to deter illegal entries.

The number of individuals enrolled in ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program continued to fall as well. The 174,676 immigrants monitored under ATD as of August 10 was less than half of the number enrolled at the peak of ATD enrollment in December 2022, when ICE actively monitored nearly 378,000 immigrants.

Typically, ICE releases detention statistics on a biweekly basis. However, this most recent data release on August 15 comes nearly one month after the previous release on July 18.

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement held 36,326 in ICE detention according to data current as of August 11, 2024.
21,432 out of 36,326—or 59.0%—held in ICE detention have no criminal record, according to data current as of August 11, 2024. Many more have only minor offenses, including traffic violations.
ICE relied on detention facilities in Texas to house the most people during FY 2024, according to data current as of August 5, 2024.
ICE arrested 8,012 and CBP arrested 15,428 of the 23,440 people booked into detention by ICE during July 2024.
South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas held the largest number of ICE detainees so far in FY 2024, averaging 1,595 per day (as of August 2024).
ICE Alternatives to Detention (ATD) programs are currently monitoring 174,676 families and single individuals, according to data current as of August 10, 2024.
Chicago's area office has the highest number in ICE's Alternatives to Detention (ATD) monitoring programs, according to data current as of August 10, 2024.

TRAC’s Immigration Quick Facts provides the latest data on immigrant detention, immigration court cases, and immigration prosecutions in federal court. Each page includes several key data points alongside a graphic or table, a short description for context, and a link to more data. Visit trac.syr.edu/immigration/quickfacts for more information.