Approximately 99% of illegal aliens and border crossers live freely in the United States, with fewer than 1.5% monitored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to a report by the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) and circulated by Republican lawmakers. The illegal population is estimated at nearly 17 million.
Only about 1.34% of these individuals are in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention or monitored through the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP). Additionally, around 7.4 million border crossers are on ICE’s “non-detained docket,” known to the Biden administration but not detained, with fewer than 2.5% monitored via ISAP.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) criticized Biden’s handling of immigration, stating, “99 percent of illegal aliens in America are roaming free … remember this is the state of our southern border under HIS leadership.” Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) echoed this sentiment, noting that the current situation is unsustainable.
Hagerty and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) have introduced the “Reshape Alternatives to Detention Act,” which mandates DHS to use all available detention space and to place migrants on ISAP for GPS monitoring while awaiting deportation hearings. The legislation aims to ensure all migrants on ICE’s non-detained docket are monitored to prevent absconding or non-compliance with deportation orders.
By the end of the year, more than eight million migrants are expected to be on ICE’s non-detained docket, with the vast majority not monitored by ISAP.
