Infographic: What Could $600 Million Buy?

The bed quota costs taxpayers $600 million each year that could go toward housing vulnerable populations.

Immigration

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Part of a Series

Congress’ Costly Detention Quota

Congress’ Costly Detention Quota

A congressional mandate requires that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, maintain bed space to detain 34,000 immigrants per day at an annual cost of more than $2 billion. This arbitrary number is unrelated to the agency’s actual bed-space needs, wasting taxpayer dollars and placing immigrants at risk of abuse and mistreatment in detention facilities. The bed quota wastes taxpayer dollars that could instead go toward vital housing assistance services.

Sharita Gruberg is a Policy Analyst for LGBT Progress at the Center for American Progress.

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