The United States government holds tens of thousands of immigrants in detention. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP; principally the Border Patrol) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) do this. Immigrants are detained for entering into the United States illegally, when their requests for asylum are received (and before they are released into the United States by parole), and in the process of deportation and removal from the country. During Fiscal Year 2018, 396,448 people were in ICE custody: 242,778 of them were detained by CBP and 153,670 by ICE. A daily average of 42,188 immigrants (40,075 adult and 2,113 in families) were held by ICE in that year. More than twelve thousand immigrant children are in buildings that the Office of Refugee Resettlement's program for Unaccompanied Alien Children controls. Before they are moved to these other agencies, the CBP keeps immigrants at processing centers; between mid-May and mid-June 2019, it kept between 14,000 and 18,000 immigrants.
Immigration detention in the United States
Questions and Answers
Q: How many immigrants are held in detention by the United States government?
A: Tens of thousands of immigrants are held in detention by the United States government.
Q: Which agencies are responsible for holding immigrants in detention?
A: The Customs and Border Protection (CBP; principally the Border Patrol) and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are responsible for holding immigrants in detention.
Q: Why are immigrants detained?
A: Immigrants are detained for entering into the United States illegally, when their requests for asylum are received (and before they are released into the United States by parole), and in the process of deportation and removal from the country.
Q: How many people were in ICE custody during Fiscal Year 2018?
A: During Fiscal Year 2018, 396,448 people were in ICE custody.
Q: How many immigrant children are in buildings controlled by the Office of Refugee Resettlement's program for Unaccompanied Alien Children?
A: More than twelve thousand immigrant children are in buildings that the Office of Refugee Resettlement's program for Unaccompanied Alien Children controls.
Q: Where are immigrants kept before they are moved to other agencies?
A: Before they are moved to other agencies, immigrants are kept at processing centers by the CBP.
Q: How many immigrants did the CBP keep between mid-May and mid-June 2019, according to the text?
A: Between mid-May and mid-June 2019, the CBP kept between 14,000 and 18,000 immigrants.