Exclusive: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) It terminated two programs that provided social services to undocumented immigrants released into the interior of the United States, telling lawmakers that one brought “enormous cost with little improvement” and that the other was not consistent with ICE's mission.
The agency responded to Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and 15 members of Congress, who wrote to ICE in May requesting more information about the Alternatives to Detention program, which monitors undocumented immigrants not in ICE custody. The agency defended the program, saying it was an “effective and effective” program to monitor a segment of illegal immigrants on ICE's not-detained list.
ICE only has about 40,000 beds available to it at any one time, while it has a non-detained list of nearly 7.7 million people — a number that has risen during the Biden administration. Of these, just over 181,000 people are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention Monitoring Program, where migrants are monitored either by app check-in or GPS monitoring device.
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This photo shows migrants at the southern border encountered in Arizona. (US Border Patrol)
But in recent years, the agency has also created separate programs to provide various services and assistance to those who are not in custody. The agency says in the letter that some of these programs have ended. One is the Wrap-around Stabilization Service (WSS), which ICE says began in February 2020 and involves working with NGOs to provide “services that provide psychosocial and behavioral health support to vulnerable participants and their families who would benefit from additional stabilization services.”
ICE says the program stopped referrals in July, and that the program was ineffective in what it sought to do, with only a 2% higher compliance rate from those who participated in services than from those who did not.
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“ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) notes that the challenge facing water and sewer service has been its enormous cost with few improvements,” she says. “As a result, ERO determined that WSS was not cost effective enough to continue paying for these services when they were not beneficial to ICE or helping the agency continue its mission.”
ICE had previously cited difficulties with the program, including a cumbersome identification and referral process, a significant increase in the number of participants, and a lack of resources.
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Migrants wait in line to enter the shelter set up by authorities for migrants as migrants wait for an appointment through a single US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) application in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on May 23, 2023. (Christian Torres Chavez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The agency also says it decided in June not to continue the vendor's contract for the Young Adult Case Management Program (YACMP). This program provided immigrants ages 18 to 19 with legal services, screenings, referrals to social service programs, and Human trafficking offers. It started in 2023 and was present in 16 cities.
“In addition to financial constraints, a review of the program revealed that YACMP is not consistent with ERO's mission or priorities. In short, ERO has taken steps to realign or discontinue use of programs to address the budget challenges facing the agency,” the agency's letter said. .
The message also provided information about running ATD tracking via the app or GPS, commonly known as Intensive Supervisory Appearance Program (ISAP). ICE said 98.6% of people tracked attended court hearings overall, while 90.4% attended final hearings. As of September, 13.2% of participants were tracked by an ankle or wrist GPS device, and the average length of the program was 511.9 days.
Lawmakers also asked about those who were charged or convicted of crimes while enrolled in ATD. In fiscal year 2024, there were 3,913 charges and 688 convictions for those in the program, including 10 sex crime convictions, 364 traffic offense convictions, two murder convictions, four kidnapping convictions and 65 assault convictions, the agency said.
The incoming Trump administration is eyeing a significant increase in deportations, with President-elect Trump promising a “historic” mass deportation. Fox DigitIt also said this month that it wanted to reduce the numbers of non-detainees, while increasing the use of ankle monitors on those who cannot be detained.
Conservatives responded to the information provided to lawmakers by calling on the new administration to eliminate more programs that provide services to illegal immigrants.
“ICE is a law enforcement agency, not a charity. The billions of dollars wasted by DHS bringing millions of illegal aliens into the country and providing them with excessive accommodations should be redirected to bring every illegal alien safely home,” said Laura Reese, director of the Center for Border Security. The Heritage Foundation's Immigration for Fox News Digital.
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Reese described the services as “useless” and said, “There are many other similar initiatives that should face the same fate under President Trump.”
“Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars struggling with the agency's mission, we should see a massive increase in resources devoted to detaining and deporting illegal aliens. If you don't support the agency's mission, you shouldn't get a dime,” she said.
