Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently overseeing 5.7 million migrants in the US — who could soon be provided free medical services, food, and even housing by the Biden administration, The Post has learned.
The record number of non-detained migrants being monitored by the federal agency — 2.4m more than before Biden became president — was buried in paperwork detailing its “Release and Reporting Management” (RRM) program.
The plan is for private companies to join ICE’s monitoring of migrants through ankle monitors, phone apps, and in-person check-ins.
However, the initiative also aims to provide a range of other perks to the non-citizens on the taxpayer’s dime.
The program would cost “billions” and effectively be a “welfare” program for non-detained migrants awaiting court dates, former ICE director Tom Homan told The Post.
“The RRM is just a push by the open border advocates to provide welfare benefits to 6 million people,” the former ICE director continued.
RRM is anticipated to “replace all of ICE’s non-detained programs” and would “apply to the entire non-detained docket,” a question and answer form ICE published in September reads, clarifying: “The current non-detained docket is 5.7M.”
Those held in ICE detention for processing at the border or in facilities awaiting deportation are not included in the 5.7m number
The services for “all RRM participants” would include: “legal assistance; psychosocial services; therapeutic services; medical services; food and clothing banks; housing; public transportation information; parental information; education information; and repatriation and reintegration services,” according to the RFI form published Aug. 17.
“These services are designed to increase participant compliance with immigration obligations through information, stabilization, and support. Services will be individualized to each participant’s needs and may range from basic referrals to intensive direct assistance,” the RFI form reads.
Homan criticized the program for providing legal assistance to migrants who crossed over the border.
“They’re going to give legal assistance to illegal aliens at the taxpayer’s expense to fight the government,” he said. All the services combined are a “massive giveaway that are going to cost billions of dollars.”
The number of migrants in the country under ICE monitoring stood at 3.26 million in fiscal year 2020 and had exploded to 4.7 million by fiscal year 2022, according to ICE records.
When migrants are admitted to the US to pursue asylum claims, most have to check in with ICE on a regular basis at an office in the area where they are staying. Others have ankle monitors or have to check in via an app with facial recognition.
In 2021, each case manager had an average of 125 people in the scheme to monitor, according to a fact sheet produced by the agency.
In August, ICE sent out a Request for Information (RFI) form to private US companies to gauge their interest in participating in the government-funded program.
The Biden administration is currently in planning purposes and has not rolled out RRM, but plans to send out a “Request for Proposal” to vendors in Fiscal Year 2024, the ICE Q&A form reads.
RRM is intended to replace its “precursor,” Alternatives to Detention (ATD), which was released in 2004, according to the RFI form. The new Biden initiative would “require additional funding” beyond what is currently allocated for ATD, the Q&A form says.
Only 194,632 migrants are being tracked by GPS or other technology in the ATD program, ICE estimated in fiscal year 2023, meaning millions of migrants are roaming the country.
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has encountered a record-breaking number of migrants during Biden’s presidency. In fiscal year 2022, the number of encounters topped 2.76 million, according to CBP data.
The government previously admitted to losing track of 177,000 migrants after being released into the US, according to a Department of Homeland Security report.
ICE did not respond to an inquiry from The Post at the time of publication.