The Daily Beast is reporting that ICE is currently imprisoning a record 44,000 people—an all-time high. The figure is 4,000 more people than Congress has granted funding for ICE to hold. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not responded to requests to explain where the additional money was coming from. In September, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley revealed the Trump administration transferred nearly $10 million from FEMA to ICE over the summer. This comes as The Washington Post is reporting that President Trump is preparing to oust Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Nielsen came under intense fire this summer over the Trump administration’s family separation policy, with Democratic lawmakers demanding her resignation. Trump canceled a visit with Nielsen to Texas this week to visit troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, after Trump deployed thousands of soldiers ahead of the arrival of several Central American caravans. This comes as human rights groups are seeking to halt Trump’s recent order banning immigrants who enter the U.S. outside of legal ports of entry from seeking asylum.
Daily Beast: ICE Imprisoning Record High of 44,000 People
HeadlineNov 13, 2018