Taxpayers expected to save millions after COVID-era perk for illegal immigrants gets cancelled

SUMMARY

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ended a COVID-era program that provided illegal immigrants in custody with 520 minutes of free phone and video calls per month, a move estimated to save taxpayers over $10 million annually. The program, initiated in May 2020 due to pandemic-related visitation restrictions, remained in effect even after the public health emergency ended in May 2023. ICE cited the need to reallocate resources to the southern border as a reason for discontinuing the program. Detainees can still access Wi-Fi for calls to attorneys and families but must now pay for these services. While the program's cessation has sparked debate over funding and border security measures, ICE noted that the program's costs were unsustainable without additional congressional resources. The end of this initiative comes amid ongoing tensions over border security funding, with differing approaches from Democrats and Republicans.