Local Jails Key to Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan, New Report Finds

July 30, 2025

A new Prison Policy Initiative report titled "Hiding in Plain Sight: How Local Jails Obscure and Facilitate Mass Deportation Under Trump" reveals how local jails have become essential to implementing President Trump's mass deportation agenda, despite sanctuary policies. The report shows that when accounting for detainees in U.S. Marshals Service custody and in local jails for immigration-related offenses, the actual number of detained immigrants is approximately 83,400—45% higher than ICE's official figure of 57,200. According to the findings, nearly half of all ICE arrests in 2025 came from transfers out of local jails, many operating under U.S. Marshals contracts that override sanctuary laws.

Who is affected

Immigrants, particularly those detained for minor offenses like traffic violations or driving without a license
People in local jails who have not been convicted of crimes but are held for low-level offenses
Individuals in states with aggressive anti-immigrant policies, especially Florida
Asylum seekers and immigrants who may be coerced into compliance through threats of federal charges
Incarcerated individuals in facilities like Pinellas County jail, where some were forced to sleep on floors to make room for ICE detainees

What action is being taken

Local jails are transferring detainees to ICE custody, with nearly half of all ICE arrests in 2025 coming from these transfers
Federal agents are booking people into federal pretrial detention on immigration charges (20,000 people between January and May 2025)
Florida is implementing aggressive enforcement measures, including requiring local jurisdictions to cooperate with ICE and offering $1,000 bonuses to officers participating in immigration raids
ICE is testing new legal strategies to expand its authority at a planned detention facility in the Everglades
Some states (California, Massachusetts, Illinois, and New York) are limiting cooperation with ICE to reduce arrests at local jails

Why it matters

The true scale of immigrant detention is hidden from public view, with actual numbers 45% higher than official ICE figures
Sanctuary policies meant to protect immigrants are being circumvented through federal detention contracts
Even jurisdictions claiming to shield immigrants are enabling mass detention when they contract with federal agencies
The strategy expands detention capabilities and exacerbates due process violations
ICE's new $45 billion detention budget (nearly triple previous spending) will last through September 2029, with much expected to flow to local jails through contracts with sheriffs

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer