Dec 11, 2019

ICE arrested fewer people in 2019 as focus shifted to the border

Fadel Allassan

Photo: Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested fewer people this fiscal year, as the agency shifted its priorities to the U.S.-Mexico border, the agency announced Wednesday.

By the numbers: ICE officers arrested approximately 143,000 undocumented immigrants in fiscal year 2019, nearly 13,000 fewer than the year prior. The agency deported more than 267,000 people — an increase from FY 2018. The number of people apprehended or not admitted at the border, meanwhile, increased by 68% from the previous fiscal year.

What they're saying:

“There is no doubt that the border crisis, coupled with the unwillingness of some local jurisdictions that choose to put politics over public safety has made it more difficult for ICE to carry out its congressionally mandated interior enforcement mission.”
— ICE acting director Matt Albence

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Rashaan Ayesh

Thousands of Brazilians seeking asylum in the U.S.

Migrants mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and Brazil prepare cots to sleep on. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Nearly 17,000 Brazilian migrants have passed through El Paso, Texas in the past year, with many claiming fear of persecution or extreme economic hardship, AP reports.

Why it matters: Nationwide, 18,00 Brazilians were apprehended in the fiscal year ending in October — up 600% from 2016, per AP. The increase in Brazilian migrants coming to the U.S. highlights the Trump administration's efforts to block legal immigration for people who claim they are being persecuted, AP writes.

Go deeperArrowDec 14, 2019
Orion Rummler

Report: Internal ICE memo details allegations of medical neglect

Adult men detained in a standing room only cell at U.S. Border Patrol McAllen Station in June 2019 in McAllen, Texas. Photo: Office of Inspector General/Department of Homeland Security via Getty Images

Seventeen complaints of neglecting the medical needs of detained immigrants are detailed in a March 20 letter to top ICE leadership from Homeland Security's officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, BuzzFeed reports.

The impact: Four detainees' deaths, referenced in an internal memo from an agency whistleblower obtained by BuzzFeed News, are linked to allegations of inadequate medical treatment and unaddressed concerns over detained migrants' physical or mental health.

Go deeperArrowDec 14, 2019
Dan Primack

Nestlé agrees to sell U.S. ice cream business for $4 billion

Photo: Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Nestlé agreed to sell its U.S. ice cream business for $4 billion to Froneri, a joint venture Nestlé formed in 2016 with private equity firm PAI Partners.

Why it matters: This is America's second-largest ice cream group, but it's been losing market share to leader Unilever. Nestlé's plan is to follow the growth model it successfully used in Europe, under similar circumstances, whereby it merged operations with PAI-owned R&R Group to create Froneri.

Go deeperArrowDec 12, 2019