ICE is struggling to detain more people despite a huge influx of money. And officials are blaming one man
Officials blame Corey Lewandowski for the slow pace of immigration arrests
- Officials are reportedly frustrated with the slow pace of immigration arrests and detentions, despite the Trump administration providing ICE with an unprecedented $45 billion in new funding.
- Despite the funding, the average number of migrants in custody has barely increased, and arrests have fallen by 11 percent since June, though overall deportations have tripled since January.
- Reasons cited for the slow expansion include a Homeland Security policy requiring Secretary Kristi Noem's personal approval for contracts over $100,000 and the influence of DHS advisor Corey Lewandowski.
- Lewandowski has prioritized agreements with Republican-led states like Louisiana and Florida to house detainees in state facilities, rather than typically lower-cost private ones, defending this as securing fairer agreements.
- The administration's goal to expand the detention network to over 100,000 beds and hire 10,000 more officers faces challenges, with existing facilities already experiencing overcrowding, poor conditions, and a rise in detainee deaths.