Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced it is ending two programs designed to provide social services to migrants who are released into the U.S. interior. ICE explained to lawmakers that these programs were costly and didn’t deliver enough positive results, while also straying from the agency’s primary mission.
The announcement came in response to a letter from Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and 15 other members of Congress. They had asked ICE about the “Alternatives to Detention” (ATD) program, which monitors migrants who are not held in detention centers. ICE defended ATD, calling it an efficient way to keep track of people in the U.S. while awaiting immigration proceedings. Currently, the U.S. only has about 40,000 detention beds, while nearly 7.7 million migrants are on ICE’s non-detained docket, a number that has surged during the Biden administration. Of these, around 181,000 are part of the ATD program, using check-ins via app or GPS monitors.
However, ICE said it is shutting down two additional programs that aimed to provide services beyond monitoring. One of them, the Wraparound Stabilization Service (WSS), was launched in February 2020 to support vulnerable migrants with mental health and behavioral services. The program worked with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assist families in need. Despite its goals, ICE revealed the program had little success in improving compliance with immigration procedures, with only a 2% higher success rate compared to those not receiving services.
ICE noted that the WSS program was expensive and came with significant challenges, including complicated referral processes, an increase in participants, and limited resources. Referrals to the program stopped in July, and it has now been discontinued.
Another program being shut down is the Young Adult Case Management Program (YACMP), which started in 2023 and operated in 16 cities. This program focused on 18- and 19-year-old migrants, offering legal guidance, social services, and screenings for issues like human trafficking. ICE decided in June not to renew the program’s vendor contract, citing financial constraints and stating that it did not align with the agency’s mission.
ICE emphasized the importance of staying focused on its core priorities, especially given budget challenges. They also shared new data about the ATD program’s monitoring efforts. ICE said that 98.6% of migrants tracked through app or GPS monitoring showed up for their court hearings, with 90.4% attending their final hearings. The average participant spends about 512 days in the program, with some using GPS ankle or wrist devices.
Lawmakers also asked about crimes committed by people enrolled in the ATD program. ICE reported that in fiscal year 2024, there were 3,913 charges and 688 convictions among participants. These included serious crimes such as homicides, kidnappings, assaults, and sex offenses, though traffic violations made up the majority of convictions.
With the incoming Trump administration, plans are underway to ramp up deportations and reduce the number of migrants not in detention. There’s also talk of expanding the use of ankle monitors for those who cannot be held in detention centers. Conservatives have called for further cuts to programs offering services to migrants, arguing that ICE should focus solely on enforcement and deportation.
Lora Ries, from the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, criticized the social service programs, calling them a waste of taxpayer dollars. She urged the government to redirect funds toward detaining and deporting migrants, emphasizing that ICE’s mission is law enforcement, not charity.
As the political debate over immigration intensifies, all eyes are on how the next administration will handle ICE’s policies and programs.
