[[link removed]]
February 2025
Greetings. This installment of Immigration Disclosures highlights a production released by the Department of State in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted in April; an interview by Vox News on the refugee admissions program; and a new FOIA request on ICE Detention Transfers.
Initial Disclosures
• In response to a FOIA request we submitted in April and the subsequent lawsuit filed in July, the State Department produced datasets for refugees arriving to the United States between October 1, 2017, to December 31, 2024, through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). The Council is currently studying the government productions and hope to publish analysis of the available data in the coming months. Read our FOIA here. [[link removed]]
• In December 2024, Vox News interviewed Staff Attorney, Chris Opila, on ways the Trump administration could restrict refugee admissions in his second term—such as suspending refugee admissions as President Trump did on his first day in office. Read the article here. [[link removed]]
The Council and RMIAN File a FOIA Request on ICE Detention Transfers
• On February 7, the Council teamed up with Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN) to file a FOIA request to obtain records from U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) on its policy for transferring individuals in detention from one facility to the other. The FOIA seeks records on ICE’s implementation of Policy 11022.1: “Detainee Transfers,” updated guidance about this policy, and data regarding transfers of individuals in detention between 2018 to present day.
Issued in January 2012, ICE Policy 11022.1: “Detainee Transfers” establishes responsibilities and procedures for ICE employees who perform detainee transfers. Per the policy, “detainee transfers and transfer determinations will be based on a thorough and systematic review of the most current information available.” However, over 13 years after the policy’s initial implementation, little public information exists on how ICE makes determinations on the transfer of individuals in detention from one facility to another. Furthermore, while the policy requires ICE to collect data on transfers, it remains unknown whether the agency adequately does so. ICE has not provided data about transfers to the public since 2011.
In attempting to discern the reasons leading to the transfer of individuals in detention, researchers also found that the agency’s information on transfer of individuals from one detention center to another proved limited, scattered, and difficult to access. Some scholars have theorized that transfers could potentially be punitive, disrupting attorney access; others have theorized ICE may deliberately choose to transfer individuals to certain jurisdictions with unfavorable immigration judges.
Last year, the Council analyzed data about noncitizens in detention at the Torrance County Detention Facility between January 2021 to November 2022 and published a web report in October 2024. The report could not identify conclusive findings in ICE patterns regarding transfers. The dearth of accessible public guidance on this issue leads to a lack of knowledge about the true circumstances that lead to individuals’ transfers. As such, the request submitted by the Council and RMIAN seeks to understand ICE’s operations regarding transfers, how frequently ICE transfers people in detention, under what circumstances it does so, and the extent to which transfers comply with the policy’s provisions about medical needs, medication, and property.
Why Does This Matter?
• Access to guidance regarding transfers will allow for greater understanding of the circumstances promoting the transfer of individuals. Advocates have noted that transfers can both hinder legal representation and disrupt the lives of individuals in detention.
• The data request will allow researchers to determine how frequently transfers occur and know whether ICE follows its own quality control policy.
Read more: Council and RMIAN File FOIA Seeking Information about Detrimental Transfers of People in ICE Custody [[link removed]]
The American Immigration Council works to hold the
government accountable on immigration issues. We harness freedom of information requests, litigation, and advocacy to expose the wrongdoing and promote transparency within immigration agencies. Make a donation today. [[link removed]]
Blog [[link removed]] | www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org [[link removed]] | unsubscribe: [link removed]
1331 G St. NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C., xxxxxx
Hello World