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

Date Issued

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Submitting OIG

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Other Participating OIGs

Department of Homeland Security OIG

Agencies Reviewed/Investigated

Department of Homeland Security

Components

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Report Number

OIG-24-31

Report Description

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.

Report Type

Audit

Agency Wide

Yes

Number of Recommendations

Questioned Costs

Funds for Better Use

Open Recommendations

This report has 2 open recommendations.

Recommendation Number	Significant Recommendation	Recommended Questioned Costs	Recommended Funds for Better Use
1	No	$0	$0
We recommend the Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations assign an office responsible for managing and overseeing the risk classification assessment process.
2	No	$0	$0
We recommend the Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations establish and implement a formal policy and procedure for using the risk classification assessment process. The policy should include requirements for when officers should apply the risk classification assessment process and how officers should sufficiently document justifications to ensure the rationales for their decisions are clear, especially when deviating from the risk classification assessment’s recommended decision.