Record High 60,000 Migrants Currently Detained in US

More than 60,000 migrants are currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, topping the previous peak of nearly 56,000 under President Donald Trump’s first administration.

The Details: In January, ICE facilities held about 39,000 immigrants. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested the majority of detainees in January at places of entry to the US, such as borders, airports, and seaports. Now, ICE conducts the majority of arrests inside the country. Congress recently raised ICE’s budget from $8 billion to $28 billion.

For Context: Border Czar Tom Homan said the administration hopes to have 100,000 beds in immigration detention centers across the US. The administration has focused on expanding the beds at their disposal for immigration purposes, such as at the Indiana prison dubbed the "Speedway Slammer” and the US military base on Guantanamo Bay, as well as building new facilities, such as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades. Many of these facilities have been criticized for inhumane conditions.

How the Media Covered It: New York Times (Lean Left bias) quoted the president of the National Immigration Law Center saying, “The Trump administration is building an unprecedented detention system of extraordinary size and cruelty to terrorize immigrant communities.” NewsNation (Center) focused on where the Trump administration is expanding immigration detention facilities, noting that private prison companies such as CoreCivic and The GeoGroup now have contracts to operate immigration facilities. Newsmax (Right) reported that immigration arrests are at the highest in five years, with about half of arrested migrants already deported.

Why the Difference? Some right-rated sources may focus on data suggesting Trump's immigration actions are working; some on the left may highlight data making it look like Trump's actions are inhumane or ineffective.

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