Immigration and Customs Enforcement takes drastic measures to realign its priorities and resources amid mounting operational challenges.
According to Fox News, ICE has discontinued two significant programs that provided social services to undocumented immigrants released into the United States interior, citing excessive costs and misalignment with the agency's core mission.
The decision affects the Wraparound Stabilization Service (WSS) and the Young Adult Case Management (YACMP) program, which collectively offer various support services to vulnerable migrants and young adults. These programs, launched in 2020 and 2023, respectively, aimed to provide psychosocial support, behavioral health services, and case management assistance to specific immigrant populations.
The WSS program's termination came after a thorough evaluation revealed minimal improvement in compliance rates among participants. Despite substantial investment, the program showed only a 2% higher compliance rate for those who received services compared to those who did not, making it financially unsustainable for the agency.
ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) faced significant challenges with the WSS program, including complex referral processes and resource limitations. The program's effectiveness was further diminished by a substantial increase in participants, which strained available resources and administrative capabilities.
The YACMP program, which operated in 16 cities and provided specialized services to 18- and 19-year-old migrants, was also discontinued due to fiscal constraints and mission incompatibility. The program offered various support services, including legal assistance and human trafficking screenings.
ICE's non-detained docket has experienced unprecedented growth during the Biden administration, reaching nearly 7.7 million people. This stands in stark contrast to the agency's detention capacity of approximately 40,000 beds.
The Alternatives to Detention program, which continues to operate, currently monitors over 181,000 immigrants through various methods, including app check-ins and GPS monitoring. Data from the program shows a 98.6% court appearance rate for all hearings, with 90.4% of participants attending their final hearings.
Criminal activity among program participants has been documented, with fiscal year 2024 recording 3,913 charges and 688 convictions. These included serious offenses such as homicide, kidnapping, and sexual offenses, alongside more common violations like traffic infractions.
Heritage Foundation's Border Security and Immigration Center director, Lora Ries, expressed strong opposition to these service programs. She emphasized ICE's law enforcement role and criticized the allocation of resources for immigrant services:
ICE is a law enforcement agency, not a charity. 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.
The incoming Trump administration has indicated plans for significant changes in immigration enforcement, including increased deportations and expanded use of ankle monitoring devices for non-detained immigrants.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has terminated two major social service programs - the Wraparound Stabilization Service and Young Adult Case Management program - citing financial constraints and mission realignment priorities.
The decision comes as ICE manages a non-detained docket of 7.7 million people while operating with a limited detention capacity of 40,000 beds. These changes align with broader policy shifts anticipated under the incoming administration, which plans to intensify deportation efforts and expand monitoring measures for non-detained immigrants.
