Featured Issue: ICE’s Alternatives to Detention Program
Created in 2002, the Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program has significantly expanded in recent years. From original pilot sites with 200 individuals, the program has in recent times had as many as 376,000 individuals under monitoring. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) determines the intensity of supervision and monitoring technology on a case-by-case basis.
ATD consists of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), which utilizes case management and technology tools to support noncitizens compliance with release conditions while on ICE’s non-detained docket. ATD additionally consists of subprograms such as the Young Adult Case Management Program (YACMP), led by the Juvenile and Family Management Unit. ICE also provides support to the DHS Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) with the implementation of their Case Management Pilot Program (CMPP).
According to ICE:
Participant Enrollment
Adults 18 years of age or older who are released from DHS custody, and who are generally in removal proceedings or subject to a final order of removal, may be eligible for enrollment in ICE’s ATD programs. Participants are thoroughly vetted by officers before enrollment. Officers review several factors when making enrollment determinations, including:
- Criminal, immigration and supervision history
- Family and/or community ties
- Status as a caregiver or provider
- Humanitarian or medical considerations
Cost Effectiveness
The daily cost per ATD participant is less than $8 per day — a stark contrast from the cost of detention, which is around $150 per day.
Technology Types
ISAP ATD uses three different types of technology to ensure compliance with release conditions: telephonic reporting, Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring, and SmartLINK.
Browse the Featured Issue: ICE’s Alternatives to Detention Program collection
Alternatives to Detention Handbook - Intensive Supervision Appearance Program
ICE provides an Alternatives to Detention (ATD) handbook on the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) that provides detailed protocols, charts, and sample forms for applying ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations ATD programs.
Alternatives to Detention Program Guidance
Message from ERO Taskings to field office directors and deputy field office directors with alternatives to detention program guidance including best practices related to referrals to ATD, enrollment in ATD, and ATD case management.
ICE Memo on Alternatives to Detention Program Participant Enrollment Guidance
Memo from Executive Associate Director Gary Mead on alternatives to detention program participant enrollment guidance for all existing and potential ADT participants.
ICE Memo on Use of GPS Monitoring Devices on Persons who are Pregnant or Diagnosed with a Severe Medical Condition
ICE memo stating that effective immediately, the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program is discontinuing the use of RF and GPS ankle bracelets on persons whose medical conditions render the use of these devices inappropriate. This includes verifiably pregnant women.
ATD Case Management Policy
In an email sent to field office directors and deputy field office directors, DRO Taskings outlines what officers managing ATD cases must do as part of "good case management."