U.S. Incentivized to Detain Immigrants

A study published Thursday revealed that prison contracts with privately run immigration detention facilities in the U.S. have led federal authorities to detain more immigrants than they need to in order to meet quotas. The report, by the Center for Constitutional Rights and Detention Watch Network, contends U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials help private companies meet “guaranteed minimums” by using taxpayer money to pay for a set number of detention beds, regardless of whether they’re used. The quotas give ICE an incentive to detain more immigrants while also allowing private companies to affect the number of individuals detained annually in the U.S., according to the study.