ICE's Release of Immigration Detainees (Revised)

In February and March 2013, media sources reported U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released hundreds of immigration detainees, including detainees with criminal convictions. The publicized releases occurred the weekend before sequestration went into effect on March 1, 2013, generating speculation that the releases were improperly motivated. We determined that the following factors influenced ICE’s decision to release 2,226 immigration detainees between February 9 and March 1, 2013.