In this Substack Live event, I walk through the latest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention data, released this week. I break down the top-line number — nearly 58,000 people in detention as of June 29 — and place this within the broader political and policy landscape, including the recently passed federal budget that allocates an extraordinary $45 billion to ICE.
What’s in the Data?
Detention numbers increased by about 1,500 people since the last reporting period — a steady rise that aligns with enforcement trends over the past several months.
A dramatic shift continues in who is being detained: a third of people now in ICE custody have no criminal convictions, compared to just 6% in January.
Questions I Answer in This Session:
Can we trust the data? I explain how I verify ICE's numbers using years of experience, case-by-case data, and FOIA comparisons. I also describe past reporting errors and how I spot and report discrepancies.
Who profits from detention? We discuss private prison contractors like CoreCivic and GEO Group, as well as local sheriffs using intergovernmental service agreements (IGSAs) to house detainees at a profit — sometimes at $125 per person, per day.
What about legal representation? I outline the significant barriers to accessing attorneys while in detention, including isolation, high phone costs, and poor communication infrastructure.
How is detention expanding so quickly? I describe three main strategies: adding IGSAs with county jails, converting existing prison wings into ICE facilities, and state-led initiatives to build facilities with the expectation of future ICE contracts.
Other Topics I Touch On:
The 287(g) program and ICE’s partnerships with local police and sheriffs.
The psychological harm and long-term effects of detention on children and families.
The historical roots of the private security industry and its ties to labor suppression, coal mining, and early American law enforcement.
The increasing number of detention facilities — now over 200 in use — and the rising concerns about overcrowding and human rights.
I also correct an earlier detail in the original blog post: the data reflects numbers as of June 29, not June 15.
Finally, I preview upcoming posts, including part three of my analysis of ICE arrest data (via the Deportation Data Project), and I link back to recent conversations with scholars Nancy Hiemstra and Deirdre Conlon about their book Immigration Detention Inc., as well as Jessica Pishko’s work on the history of the sheriff's office.
If you find this helpful, please share and subscribe — it’s the best way to help get real data into the hands of more people, and to improve the quality of public conversation around immigration.
Thank you
, , , and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Read the original post with graphics and data below:
US Immigrant Detention System Entering a Period of Unprecedented Growth – 58,000 People Now Held in Over 200 Facilities
According to the latest data published by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) early this morning, the number of immigrants held in detention on June 29 reached 57,861 — up from 56,397 two weeks prior. ICE detention has now crossed the highest recent threshold of 55,654 set by the first Trump administration in 2019.
Support public scholarship.
This newsletter is only possible because of your support. If you believe in keeping this work un-paywalled and freely open to the public, consider becoming a paid subscriber. You can read more about the mission of this newsletter, why I finally decided to offer a paid option, and the impact of this work in 2025 so far.
Share this post