McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in July had a drop in migrant arrests nationwide but an increase in removals, according to new data.
The average daily bookings from July 1-26 was 990 per day, down 19% from 1,224 daily bookings in June, Transactional Access Records Clearinghouse (TRAC) reports. The total number of people booked into an ICE detention facility in July was 31,281, that included 27,483 arrested by ICE and 3,798 arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, TRAC reports.
There were 56,945 migrants detained in ICE custody, which is down 1.5% from the 57,861 detainees in June.
TRAC reports that in July the number of migrants removed from the United States increased by an average of 84 more per day from June.
Top ICE holding facilities
The Adams County Detention Facility in Natchez, Mississippi, had an average daily migrant population of 2,169, as of Aug. 4, the most of any facility nationwide, TRAC reports. The Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, had the second-most with 1,892. The South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas, had third-most with 1,679 migrants averaged daily.
Other ICE holding facilities with the most average daily population as of Aug. 4 included:
- The Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado, and the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana, both averaged 1,173 migrants daily.
- The Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana, averaged 1,555 migrants daily.
- The Eloy Federal Contract Facility in Eloy, Arizona, averaged 1,395 migrants daily.
- The Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, averaged 1,374 migrants daily.
- The Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego averaged 1,366 migrants daily.
- The Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, averaged 1,138 migrants daily.
- The Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro, Louisiana, averaged 1,055 migrants daily.
- Port Isabel Detention facility in Los Fresnos, Texas, averaged 1,058 migrants daily.
- The Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Anson, Texas, west of Fort Worth, averaged 955 migrants daily.
- The Karnes County Immigration Processing Center in Karnes City, Texas, averaged 930 migrants daily.
- The Krome North Service Processing Centr in Miami averaged 915 migrants daily — more than double its normal capacity.
- The South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, averaged 880 migrants daily.
Not listed in the data is the new detention facility located in the Florida Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Most have no criminal convictions
According to TRAC, 70% of all current detainees, as of Aug. 10, held in ICE detention have no criminal conviction. Many had minor offenses, including traffic violations.
Report: Women and children abused at ICE facilities
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, has released a report “The Abuse of Pregnant Women and Children in U.S. Immigration Detention” alleging that since Jan. 20, there have been 510 “credible reports of human rights abuse against individuals held in Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Prisons, and Health and Human Services facilities, county jails, and federal buildings across 25 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, at U.S. military bases (including Guantánamo Bay in Cuba and Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti), and on chartered deportation flights.”
Ossoff says he has launched an investigation, and he alleges in the report released July 31 there have been “41 credible reports of physical and sexual abuse of individuals in U.S. immigration detention, 14 credible reports of mistreatment of pregnant women, and 18 credible reports of mistreatment of children.”
Abuses allegedly occurred at the El Paso Service Processing Center, and the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, as well as at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia.
“At the South Texas ICE Processing Center, at least four emergency calls since January have reportedly referenced sexual abuse,” the report says.
DHS officials earlier this month said the report was false and misleading.
“Sen. Ossoff’s false allegations of subprime conditions have been debunked time and time again by DHS. ICE detention facilities have higher standards than most U.S. prisons that detain American citizens. All detainees are provided with comprehensive medical care, proper meals, and are given the opportunity to call their family members and attorneys. These false allegations are garbage and are part of the reason ICE agents are now facing an 1,000% increase in assaults against them,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.