As of Wednesday morning, the federal prison system is holding about 700 immigration detainees across four facilities, a policy linked to the Trump administration’s tough immigration stance. Kathleen Toomey, associate deputy director of the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), shared this information during a hearing with the House Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, shedding light on the BOP’s role in enforcing immigration policies.
Toomey revealed that the BOP had entered into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house detainees at five BOP facilities: Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Leavenworth (Kansas), and Berlin (New Hampshire). However, there were no detainees at the New Hampshire facility at the time. The arrangement ensures that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will reimburse the BOP for the cost of housing these individuals.
This disclosure came one day after a group of Senate Democrats raised concerns about the strategy. They urged Attorney General Pamela Bondi to reconsider using federal prisons for immigration detention, citing reports from detained immigrants during the first Trump administration about alleged mistreatment and unconstitutional conditions in BOP facilities.
The Democrats’ letter emphasized that BOP already faces staffing shortages, inadequate resources, and deteriorating infrastructure. They argued that using federal prisons to house immigrants could worsen these challenges, threatening the safety and well-being of both staff and detainees.
“BOP already struggles with significant resource deficiencies in fulfilling its core responsibilities,” the letter stated. “It simply lacks the resources to safely and humanely accommodate immigration detainees.”
The House hearing also highlighted broader problems facing the Bureau of Prisons, including budget constraints, violence, staffing shortages, and crumbling infrastructure. The BOP’s $8.39 billion budget for fiscal year 2024 did not include an increase for salaries and expenses, despite previous proposals for additional funding. Toomey mentioned that the agency estimates needing 3,000 more correctional officers than the 20,446 it currently employs.
In response to financial pressures, Toomey also announced that the BOP would be reducing retention incentives for about 23,000 staff members, impacting staff at multiple institutions. Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., criticized the decision, calling it a “cruel cut” that would likely result in more staff quitting and leave remaining employees with more overtime work.
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