The government of Donald Trump used the “catch and release” program to free 461 undocumented immigrants who have been detained since he took office. The reason? Limited space in U.S. immigration facilities, Axios found out.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly criticized the “catch and release” program used by Joe Biden’s administration, and last month he laid out plans to end the practice.
But for now, it seems that the program remains part of Trump’s strategy for immigration law enforcement, as he pressures ICE agents to arrest immigrants en masse, even knowing that immigration detention facilities are nearly full.
Under “catch and release,” non-violent undocumented immigrants who have been arrested by U.S. agents are released after agreeing to return for their cases to be heard by an immigration court.
Immigrants typically receive bracelets or ankle monitors, or are instructed to check in by phone, to allow authorities to track them until their court dates.
The released immigrants represent less than 6% of the approximately 8,000 undocumented individuals arrested since January 21, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said in an email statement to Axios.
“They do not have final deportation orders and are likely contesting their immigration status,” she said.
McLaughlin stated that several factors can determine whether a detained immigrant is released. These include the lack of space in detention, whether a detainee is likely to be deported soon, and humanitarian considerations.
ICE agents have arrested a “significant number” of “criminal” immigrants that “require greater detention capacity,” McLaughlin said.
She added that ICE is seeking more funding from Congress to expand partnerships with local police and is working to review case files more quickly to deport those with “final executable removal orders.”
Immigrant detention units in the U.S. hold about 41,500 people per day on average. Trump promised to deport “millions” of unauthorized immigrants, and his administration wants to double the detention capacity of the immigration system.
The government hopes to build new units, but more immediately, it is counting on space beyond the American continent. Trump signed an executive order expanding immigrant detention units at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Pentagon has sent hundreds of service members to the base to support the effort to house detained immigrants linked to crimes.
Source: Axios