Special Poll
Since taking office, the Trump administration has freed 461 undocumented immigrants through the “catch and release” program, largely due to limited space in U.S. immigration detention facilities. This approach, which has been a part of the current immigration enforcement strategy, involves releasing nonviolent individuals who have been arrested by U.S. agents. They are allowed to go free after agreeing to return for their scheduled immigration court hearings, often while wearing wristbands or ankle monitors or by checking in via telephone so that authorities can track their whereabouts until their court dates.
During his campaign, Trump frequently criticized the Biden administration for its use of “catch and release,” and just last month he announced plans to put an end to the practice. However, despite these plans, the program remains in effect as immigration enforcement efforts continue. The released individuals account for less than 6% of the roughly 8,000 undocumented immigrants arrested since January 21, according to Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. She explained that these individuals typically have not received final deportation orders and are usually contesting their immigration status.
Decisions to release an immigrant under this program depend on several factors. These include the availability of detention space—especially for women detainees whether an individual is expected to be deported soon, and various humanitarian considerations. Meanwhile, ICE agents are arresting a significant number of individuals considered to be “criminal” immigrants, which requires a larger detention capacity. In response, ICE is calling on Congress for increased funding to broaden its partnerships with local law enforcement and to accelerate the review of case files, particularly for those with final orders of removal that can be immediately executed.
On average, U.S. immigration detention facilities house about 41,500 people each day. Trump has made it a priority to deport millions of unauthorized immigrants and has expressed a desire to double the current detention capacity of the immigration system. While plans to build new facilities are in the works, in the short term the administration is focused on establishing more detention agreements with sheriff’s offices and even expanding operations beyond the U.S. mainland. For example, Trump signed an executive order to expand detention units at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, and the Pentagon has since deployed hundreds of service members there to support the effort.
In recent actions, 10 Venezuelan nationals linked to the Tren de Aragua gang were sent to Guantanamo Bay on a military plane, and a separate large military flight transported men, women, and families back to India—a flight that typically carries around 100 people. The administration also has arrangements with Venezuela to accept deported citizens, and El Salvador has agreed to take in criminals and detainees of any nationality, including Americans, which has raised some legal questions. At a recent meeting in Washington, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, requested additional bed rentals from sheriffs and clearer procedures for holding individuals that ICE seeks to detain, as local law enforcement agencies look to formalize their partnerships with ICE.