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What is ICE and what does it do?
In 2003, the investigative and enforcement arms of the US Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service combined to create [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]([link removed]) (ICE). ICE operates under the Department of Homeland Security to enforce federal border control, customs, trade, and immigration laws. The organization detains, deports, and sometimes convicts specific types of unauthorized immigrants.
- ICE employs over 20,000 people in over 400 global offices. Its annual budget is close to $8 billion. It has 105 holding centers nationwide, 31.4% in states along the US-Mexico border.
[Map of ICE detention centers]([link removed])
- ICE detained approximately 3.43 million people identified as unauthorized immigrants from October 2013 to March 2024. Book-ins, the process of being physically checked into a detention facility, were highest in 2019 at 510,850 and lowest in 2020 at 182,870.
- Mexican people comprised the largest portion of people booked, at 1.07 million detainees or 31.4%, followed by Guatemalans (17.4%) and Hondurans (12.9%).
- It’s mandatory for ICE to detain unauthorized immigrants who have committed terrorism and other serious crimes. Approximately 589,870 people detained between October 2017 and March 2024 had a criminal record in the US.
- As of March, the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, was the busiest ICE center with 1,707 average daily detainees. The South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall was the second busiest (1,605 average daily detainees). The Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, was third (1,530).
[Click here for more ICE data]([link removed])
How the government supports veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aims to “fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.” So, how is the government following through on that? [Here’s the data]([link removed]) on how the government supports veterans.
- The VA spent over $266 billion in fiscal year 2022 on pensions, healthcare, and education for the nation’s veterans. This accounted for 4.3% of all federal spending.
- One of the VA’s most used services is its disability compensation program. In 2022, more than 5.9 million veterans and their families received financial support from the program.
[Map of VA expenditures]([link removed])
- In 2022, the VA spent $104 billion on veterans' medical care, offering free healthcare for conditions related to military service and catastrophic disabilities.
- Veterans also receive educational and vocational benefits. In 2022, over 800,000 veterans, service members, reservists, and family members took advantage of these benefits, up from 541,439 in 2008 but down from over 1 million in 2016.
- The VA moved 40,000 homeless veterans into homes in 2022. It also helped nearly 530,000 veteran families keep their homes or avoid foreclosure during the pandemic.
[Learn how the US cares for vets]([link removed])
Just the Facts continues this Sunday
Just the Facts with Steve Ballmer continues Sunday, September 8, on NewsNation. Tune in at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT for two more data-centric episodes covering the economy and US energy/climate. You can [watch the episodes online here]([link removed]) the same day, and catch up on the first two episodes in the meantime.
Data behind the news
Did you go on a road trip this long Labor Day weekend? [How was your drive]([link removed])?
NPR reports that at least seven middle and high school football players died last month. At least two died of [head injuries]([link removed]), while others possibly [involved heatstroke]([link removed]). The CDC says, “more than one in five heat-related deaths occur in Americans ages 15 to 44.”
The Agriculture Department says the Boar’s Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak violated federal regulations. Listeria is one of the five [deadliest foodborne pathogens]([link removed]).
The US Supreme Court rejected President Joe Biden’s request to lift a decision pausing his student debt relief plan. Here’s [how much student debt]([link removed]) Americans owe.
If you read last week’s newsletter, you’ll ace [the weekly fact quiz]([link removed]). The prize? Well-earned bragging rights.
One last fact: Election edition
[Is Congress representative of the American people?]([link removed])
As of April 2024, Congress had 65 African American members, 21 Asian American or Pacific Islander members, and five members enrolled in Native American tribes. There were also 61 Hispanic or Latino congresspeople, including 55 in the House of Representatives and six in the Senate. (Membership of The 118th Congress: A Profile does not include data on white congressmembers.)
Find out how [Congress stacks up to the nation]([link removed]) along age and gender lines.
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