Quick Hit:

Internal data obtained by Fox News reveals that ICE's non-detained docket has surged to 7.4 million cases in 2024, highlighting severe operational challenges and staff shortages.

Key Details:

• Explosive Growth: The non-detained docket has ballooned from 3.7 million since President Biden's inauguration, with projections to hit 8 million by fiscal year-end.
• Staffing Crisis: With just 6,000 officers, the average workload per ICE agent is an overwhelming 7,000 cases, signaling an unsustainable strain on resources.
• Legislative Stalemate: A bipartisan border security bill that could have bolstered ICE resources failed in the Senate, amid accusations from the White House of Republican obstruction.

Diving Deeper:

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is facing a daunting escalation in its non-detained docket, with numbers reaching 7.4 million cases as of the current fiscal year. This stark rise represents more than a doubling of the docket size since President Joe Biden took office, raising serious concerns about the agency's ability to effectively manage immigration enforcement under current conditions.

The Alternatives to Detention program, aimed at monitoring migrants who are not in custody, has been swamped by the rapid increase in cases. This growth has placed an extraordinary burden on the agency’s limited staff. ICE currently employs about 6,000 deportation officers, a number grossly inadequate for the soaring caseload, with each officer now juggling an average of 7,000 cases.

This overwhelming case volume comes at a time when border crossings continue to increase, further taxing the agency’s resources. Federal sources have expressed concerns about the feasibility of processing the mounting cases, suggesting that without significant increases in manpower and resources, effective immigration enforcement is at risk.

Moreover, the docket does not account for nearly 1.9 million 'gotaways' — migrants who have evaded initial contact with the Department of Homeland Security since 2021. These individuals are also under ICE’s jurisdiction, complicating the task of tracking and managing immigration more broadly.

A White House spokesperson criticized Congressional Republicans for failing to pass a critical bipartisan border security bill, arguing that it would have provided necessary funding and support to agencies like ICE. The spokesperson accused the Republicans of placing "partisan political interests" over national security and immigration system reforms.