They’ve been trying to keep this under wraps. But it’s just too big to hide.
And now ICE came clean about this huge illegal immigration truth.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has decided to end two controversial programs that offered social services to illegal immigrants released into the U.S., citing high costs and misalignment with the agency’s core mission. ICE officials informed lawmakers of the decision, emphasizing that the programs delivered minimal results despite significant expenses.
The announcement was in response to a letter from Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and 15 other members of Congress, who had questioned ICE’s management of its “Alternatives to Detention” (ATD) program.
The ATD program monitors illegal immigrants who are not held in ICE detention facilities and uses tools like app-based check-ins or GPS tracking. ICE defended the ATD program as an “efficient and effective” way to monitor a fraction of the nearly 7.7 million people on its non-detained docket.
However, ICE revealed that it is discontinuing two auxiliary programs designed to provide services to migrants outside detention. The first, the Wraparound Stabilization Service (WSS), launched in February 2020, partnered with NGOs to offer behavioral health support and other services to migrants.
According to ICE, the WSS program failed to justify its steep costs, showing only a 2% higher compliance rate among participants compared to non-participants.
“ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations [ERO] notes the challenge with the WSS was its immense cost with little improvement,” ICE stated in its letter. “As a result, ERO determined WSS was not cost-effective enough to continue paying for these services when they did not benefit ICE or help the agency further its mission.”
Compounding the issues were bureaucratic inefficiencies, a surge in participants, and a lack of resources to properly manage the program. Referrals to WSS ended in July.
The second program being terminated is the Young Adult Case Management Program (YACMP), which provided 18- and 19-year-old migrants with legal services, human trafficking screenings, and referrals to social programs.
Active in 16 cities, YACMP began in 2023 but faced scrutiny over its budgetary strain and limited alignment with ICE’s enforcement goals.
“In addition to fiscal limitations, a review of the program revealed that YACMP does not align with ERO’s mission or priorities,” ICE explained. “ERO took steps to realign or stop using programs to address the budget challenges facing the agency.”
ICE’s letter also detailed statistics on its broader ATD program, known as the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), which monitors migrants through app check-ins or GPS devices.
According to ICE, 98.6% of participants appeared at court hearings, and 90.4% attended their final hearings. Still, the program faces criticism for its long monitoring durations — an average of 511.9 days — and the crimes committed by some enrollees.
In fiscal year 2024, ICE recorded 3,913 charges and 688 convictions among individuals in the ATD program, including two homicide convictions, four kidnapping convictions, and 65 assault convictions.
The incoming Trump administration has vowed to increase deportations and reduce the number of migrants not held in detention. President-elect Trump has promised a “historic” mass deportation effort and plans to expand the use of ankle monitors for those who cannot be detained.
Conservative leaders welcomed ICE’s decision to cut the two programs and urged further action. Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, called the services a “boondoggle” and said the agency’s focus should be on enforcement, not charity.
“ICE is a law enforcement agency, not a charity,” Ries told Fox News Digital. “The billions of dollars DHS has wasted to bring millions of illegal aliens into the country and provide them excessive amenities should be redirected to getting every illegal alien safely back to their home country.”
Ries also called for additional cuts to similar initiatives.
“Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars in conflict with an agency mission, we should see a massive increase in resources for detaining and deporting illegal aliens. If you don’t support the agency’s mission, you shouldn’t get a dime,” she added.
With the Biden administration’s lax immigration policies facing increased scrutiny, conservatives are rallying behind the promise of stricter enforcement under Trump, setting the stage for a more aggressive approach to immigration reform in the coming years.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
