An agency official told House lawmakers the federal prison system was holding about 700 immigration detainees at four facilities as of Wednesday morning, part of a Trump administration strategy that has drawn objections from a group of Senate Democrats.
Kathleen Toomey, associate deputy director of the federal Bureau of Prisons, disclosed that figure during a hearing of the House Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, giving new insight into the scope of the agency’s role in implementing President Donald Trump’s tough-on-immigration approach.
Under questioning from Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., Toomey said the BOP has entered into an interagency agreement allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to place detainees at five BOP facilities — Miami; Atlanta; Philadelphia; Leavenworth, Kan.; and Berlin, N.H.
There were no detainees at the New Hampshire facility, she reported, and the agreement allows for the Department of Homeland Security to fully reimburse the prison agency for the costs of housing those individuals.
Her appearance comes a day after a group of Senate Democrats urged Attorney General Pamela Bondi to reconsider the strategy, arguing that detained immigrants during the first Trump administration described alleged mistreatment and detention conditions that were unconstitutional in federal prisons.
“Due to BOP already suffering from years of understaffing, inadequate resources, and crumbling infrastructure, the Administration’s decision to revive immigration detention in BOP facilities seriously threatens the safety and well-being of BOP staff, incarcerated individuals, and immigrant detainees,” the Democrats said in a letter.
Understaffed prisons already face deep challenges in making sure the current inmate population is safe, they argued.
“BOP already grapples with considerable resource deficiencies in discharging its primary mandate, and simply does not have adequate resources to take on the additional challenge of safely and humanely accommodating immigration detainees,” the Democrats wrote.
Wednesday’s House hearing also underscored broader issues plaguing the beleaguered agency, such as budget issues, violence, a dire staffing crisis and high-dollar infrastructure problems.
Congress provided no increase to the BOP’s salaries and expenses account in fiscal 2024, despite the staffing crisis that’s been linked to prisoner deaths and a cascade of operational problems at the agency. The $8.39 billion allocation in the fiscal 2024 spending package also came despite both the House and Senate previously proposing an increase.
Toomey told lawmakers they estimate needing about 3,000 more correctional officers than the 20,446 they are authorized for, which includes line correctional officers and other positions.
Toomey also said the agency is eliminating some retention incentives and reducing others by about 50 percent, an announcement that would impact about 23,000 staff members across dozens of institutions.
Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., described the move as a “cruel cut” to the paychecks of a lot of hardworking men and women who protect public safety.
“As a result of these changes, I’m afraid that you’ll see more staff quit, forcing the remaining staff to work more overtime,” she said.
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