U.S. Immigration Detention Reaches 47,600 Detainees, ICE Seeks Capacity Increase

U.S. immigration detention facilities have reached maximum capacity, housing 47,600 detainees, prompting the Trump administration to seek additional bed space with help from the U.S. Defense Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and Bureau of Prisons. Currently, ICE is funded for 41,500 detainees, and the agency is working with lawmakers to secure more funding to expand its capacity. President Trump has vowed to deport record numbers of unauthorized migrants, citing high illegal immigration rates during the Biden administration as justification. Since taking office, ICE has intensified arrest efforts, with about 32,800 arrests made between January 20 and March 10, 27% of which were undocumented individuals with no criminal record. While the Biden administration's deportation figures were high, they were largely driven by rapid deportations of migrants apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Trump administration's approach marks a significant shift in immigration enforcement policy, focusing on mass deportations and stricter border security measures.