As immigration detention numbers rise in the U.S., activists and immigrant rights groups are protesting proposed expansions of detention facilities. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, demonstrators gathered in downtown Atlanta on Thursday to oppose the planned expansion of Georgia's Folkston ICE Processing Center, which could increase capacity from about 1,100 to nearly 3,000 beds.
Andrew Free, one of the speakers at the protest, told FOX 5 Atlanta, "This doesn’t make anybody safer. It doesn’t make anybody better off financially, and it harms us, all of us."
NPR reports that the number of people in ICE custody has increased by 20% since January, with over 48,000 individuals now detained. In response, private prison companies such as Geo Group and CoreCivic are expanding capacity to align with federal targets. Laura St. John, legal director at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, told that cost-cutting by for-profit detention operators could affect conditions for detainees.
The federal 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to assist with immigration enforcement, now includes over 600 agencies. Austin Kocher, a research professor at Syracuse University, said that this program may shift law enforcement resources away from other priorities.
Financially, the ICE detention budget currently stands at $3.4 billion. NPR notes that it could rise significantly if a proposed $45 billion funding bill is passed. Kathleen Bush-Joseph of the Migration Policy Institute told that the increase in enforcement efforts is connected to faster deportation processes.
