The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency’s non-detained docket has reached a staggering 7.4 million cases in fiscal year 2024, according to internal federal data obtained by Fox News. This number is expected to climb to 8 million by the end of the fiscal year, as confirmed by multiple federal sources.
The non-detained docket is part of ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program, which offers case-management support to released migrants to ensure compliance with release conditions and increase court appearance rates. However, the surge in migrants on the docket has strained staffing at the agency, which has only about 6,000 deportation officers nationwide, with each officer managing an average of 7,000 cases.
Federal sources have indicated that the current manpower and resource levels make it nearly impossible for ICE officers to effectively handle the massive caseload, especially with the escalating pace of border crossings. Since President Biden took office in 2021, the non-detained docket has added over 1 million cases and more than doubled from just under 3.7 million cases.
It is important to note that the 1.9 million recorded getaways who have entered the country since Biden took office are not included in the non-detained docket numbers. These migrants, who have had no contact with the Department of Homeland Security, also fall under the responsibility of ICE officers, who must track them down and facilitate their removal, in addition to managing the non-detained docket.
The White House and ICE have not yet responded to requests for comment on this report. Fox News’ Bill Melugin has contributed to this coverage, and you can find more updates on the ongoing border crisis on the Fox News Digital immigration hub. The situation at the border remains complex and continues to pose challenges for immigration enforcement agencies.