ICE’s Risk Classification Assessment Process Was Not Consistently Used to Prevent the Release of High-Risk Individuals

ICE officers did not always perform risk classification assessments to ensure they appropriately detained or released noncitizens held in ICE custody. According to a 2012 email message from the Executive Associate Director, ICE officers are responsible for completing the risk classification assessment for detained noncitizens unless they are subject to mandatory detention or removal from the United States within 5 days. However, in FY 2023, ICE officers did not conduct a risk assessment for 79,977 (33 percent) of 244,376 detained noncitizens. This noncompletion rate was higher in FY 2022, when ICE did not conduct risk classification assessment for 129,250 (43 percent) of 302,758 detained noncitizens.