Likelihood of COVID-19 Outbreaks in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Centers, 2020‒2021.

This article examines facility-level factors associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers, analyzing data from 88 facilities between May 2020 and June 2021. It found that 72% of these facilities experienced at least one outbreak, with outbreaks significantly more likely in privately operated facilities, those dedicated solely to immigrant detainees, and those with larger populations. The study highlights that these factors are interrelated, as all dedicated facilities were privately run and tended to have larger populations. No significant association was found between outbreak risk and state-level political or vaccination context. The findings suggest that structural and organizational characteristics of ICE detention centers contribute to unequal COVID-19 risks, underscoring the need for improved oversight, transparency, and policies prioritizing alternatives to detention to protect detainee health.