Immigrant arrests decreased amid global pandemic

The DHS (Department of Homeland Security) has several branches focused specifically and solely on the immigration sector. For instance, one of the entities in charge of enforcing immigration law is ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), which conducts investigations and operations to detain undocumented immigrants, both in border territory and within the US, and is the agency in charge of overseeing immigration detention centers across the country.

Usually, undocumented immigrants apprehended by ICE must wait in these detention centers until they receive a response to their immigration requests or until their deportation proceedings are completed, whatever the case may be.

However, the arrival of the global Coronavirus pandemic threatened these facilities because, under the Trump administration, they used to be overcrowded and there was not enough space to comply with hygiene protocols recommended by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the WHO (World Health Organization).

According to these specialized entities, the best preventive measure against a massive outbreak of COVID-19 is social distancing and isolation in case of contagion. Nevertheless, inside ICE immigration detention centers, following this recommendation was nearly impossible, sparking a health crisis within these facilities.

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Express deportations amid the global pandemic

The Trump administration, in light of the global health emergency, paused immigration almost completely, banned the issuance of most visas available to all kinds of foreign communities, and allowed “express or expedited deportations” in the midst of the sanitary crisis.

Under these conditions, entities such as ICE had the right and power to deport immigrants in a matter of hours, without following regular protocols and without taking them to detention centers until their cases were completed.

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The number of immigrants detained in ICE centers is growing

Despite the fact that immigration detention dropped considerably during the first massive outbreak of Coronavirus in the North American territory, the numbers are rising again under the Biden administration, which has already relaxed certain border restrictions implemented by the previous administration.

For instance, since the beginning of the year, the number of immigrants detained by ICE who are located in private prisons or local jails increased more than 92% in a matter of months. At the beginning of the year, there were approximately 14,000 immigrants in these facilities, but this number increased to 27,000 in June.

The Biden administration plans to modify the US’ detention and deportation system to reduce the number of immigrants held by ICE, either in immigration detention centers or in local prisons. Adding to that, unlike former President Trump, the current president has no intention of renewing contracts with private prison companies.

However, if border forces continue to apprehend large numbers of undocumented immigrants, this transition may not be as simple as the Biden administration expects.

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