From The Banner · Sahana Jayaraman · · 2m
How we tracked ICE's mass transfers of detained immigrants
The Banner analyzed over a million detention records to reveal how far immigrants held by ICE are being moved, especially under Trump.
In brief
The Banner analyzed over a million detention records to reveal how far immigrants held by ICE are being moved, especially under Trump. People detained in Maryland are transferred over 1,200 miles on average under Trump, compared to 700 miles under Biden, and states without long-term detention facilities see transfers…
Tracking thousands of detained immigrants
The Banner analyzed over a million detention records to measure how ICE transfers under Trump have changed immigration detention in Maryland and affected thousands of people's lives.
The human cost of distance
Lawyers reported their clients were moved much farther away, creating new legal and administrative obstacles. Detained immigrants said the distance from family caused deep psychological harm.
How we obtained the data
The Banner used detention records from a lawsuit by the Deportation Data Project, a group of lawyers and academics working to make ICE data public. Unique identifiers tracked over a million people's movements.
Matching facilities to locations
ICE records didn't include facility locations, so we used databases from the Vera Institute of Justice and the Deportation Data Project to pinpoint distances. We matched over 99 percent of detainees to facilities.
Maryland detainees travel much farther
Under Trump, a person first detained in Maryland typically moved over 1,200 miles, roughly Baltimore to southern Louisiana. Under Biden, that same person would have moved roughly 700 miles.
Maryland lacks long-term detention
Maryland is one of a handful of states without a long-term ICE detention facility. Immigrants arrested there start at short-term facilities in Baltimore or Salisbury before being transferred elsewhere.
Seven times farther without long-term facilities
We compared Maryland to Oregon, Illinois, Connecticut, and Delaware, which also lacked long-term facilities. People in these states traveled roughly seven times farther than those in states with long-term detention.
Trump administration effect is significant
Statistical analysis confirmed that both factors matter: people in states without long-term facilities traveled farther, and those detained under Trump traveled nearly seven times farther than under Biden.
Stability in states with long-term facilities
In states with long-term detention facilities, nearly a third of detainees never moved from their initial facility. In Maryland, this was much rarer, forcing most people to be transferred multiple times.
At a glance
People detained in Maryland are transferred over 1,200 miles on average under Trump, compared to 700 miles under Biden, and states without long-term detention facilities see transfers seven times farther than those with them.
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