Most ICE detainers in North Carolina do not lead to custody

Key Takeaways

• Only 12% of ICE detainers in North Carolina led to custody; nationwide it’s 14% between January 20–February 17.
• Most people flagged by ICE detainers had minor or no criminal offenses, often traffic violations, not serious crimes.
• Local jails incur high costs processing detainers, while fear remains widespread in immigrant communities despite low transfer rates.

A new study offers a close look at how ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detainers work in North Carolina 🇺🇸 and what really happens after someone is flagged. Many community members have strong feelings about immigration enforcement, but the numbers from this study reveal a story that is often different from what people think. By focusing on facts, data, and simple explanations, this analysis will help readers understand ICE actions, local law enforcement’s role, and how these processes impact North Carolina 🇺🇸 families, communities, and policymakers.

Introduction: What Are ICE Detainers and Why Do They Matter?

Before diving into the numbers, let’s clear up what an ICE detainer is. An ICE detainer is a request from ICE to a local jail or law enforcement office. ICE asks the jail to keep a person in custody for up to 48 hours after they would usually be released, so ICE agents can pick them up for possible deportation or other immigration actions. The goal is to help ICE track down people who may not have legal immigration status.

A lot of attention and fear grows around these requests, with some people thinking every ICE detainer leads to someone being detained or deported. The actual outcomes, however, are quite different.

Where the Numbers Come From

The information used in this article is from a recent study that looked at ICE detainer activity in North Carolina 🇺🇸 and across the United States 🇺🇸. The study covered the period from January 20 through February 17. During this just-under-one-month stretch, it tracked how many detainers were sent out and how many resulted in a person being taken into ICE custody.

Key Findings: ICE Detainers in North Carolina and Nationwide

The core finding is straightforward: Most people flagged by ICE detainers in North Carolina 🇺🇸 are never taken into ICE custody. Let’s look at the numbers:

• In North Carolina 🇺🇸 from January 20 to February 17, ICE issued 447 detainers across the state. Out of these, only 53 people were actually taken into ICE custody. This works out to about 12%.
• Nationwide, ICE issued 18,945 detainers during the same period. Only 2,733 people, or about 14%, ended up in ICE custody.

This means about one in eight detainers in North Carolina 🇺🇸, and one in seven nationwide, led to a transfer.

Summary Data Table

This table shows that while ICE sends out many detainers, most do not result in someone being picked up by ICE.

Why Do So Few Detainers Lead to ICE Custody?

There are several reasons why most ICE detainers in North Carolina 🇺🇸 and the rest of the United States 🇺🇸 do not lead to a person being transferred to ICE. These reasons include resource constraints, local cooperation levels, and the types of charges involved.

1. Resource Constraints

It is fairly simple for ICE to send a detainer request. But it takes a lot more time and money for ICE agents to go to local jails, find the people, and transfer them. The process requires officers, vehicles, paperwork, and coordination. Because ICE does not have unlimited staff or resources, they cannot pick up everyone who gets flagged, especially in states with many detainers.

2. Local Law Enforcement Cooperation

Every county and state is different when it comes to working with ICE. Some local law enforcement agencies agree to hold people under ICE detainers, but others do not—sometimes due to local laws, costs, or local leaders’ views on immigration. There are also times when someone is released from jail before ICE officers arrive, either because their case is resolved or because holding them longer would break local rules. As a result, many detainer requests simply expire without action.

A 2024 report shows that local governments in North Carolina 🇺🇸 can face high costs related to holding people for ICE, even when most do not get picked up (see the analysis by the North Carolina Justice Center: https://www.ncjustice.org/publications/local-communities-face-high-costs-of-federal-immigration-enforcement/).

3. Nature of Offenses

Contrary to popular belief, many people named in ICE detainers have no criminal convictions or have only been accused of minor offenses. In North Carolina 🇺🇸 especially, most people sent through programs like Secure Communities or 287(g) (which help ICE check people’s immigration status after an arrest) ended up in jail over traffic violations, not serious crimes.

The link between jail and immigration detainers is usually not one of major crime. For example, someone might get stopped for driving without a license and then have their fingerprints checked, leading to an ICE detainer, even if they have never committed a serious crime.

Real-World Effects on Communities

The impact of these detainer numbers goes beyond the people directly affected. They create a ripple effect across families, neighborhoods, and public safety.

1. Community Fear vs. Reality

Even though only a small percentage of those flagged by ICE detainers get taken into ICE custody, fear in immigrant communities stays high. Stories and rumors about ICE raids spread quickly, sometimes because of false information or fake messages. According to reports, there have been cases in North Carolina 🇺🇸 where fake emails or news articles have made people believe there would be sweeping immigration arrests, causing panic even though most people will not face detention at all.

This fear can keep people from reporting crimes, going to work, or even sending their children to school. Even though the numbers show low risk of detention, the perception created by ICE activity and stories about raids still harms the mental health and safety of local communities.

2. Costs to Local Government

Every time a local jail gets an ICE detainer request, staff have to check records, arrange holding, and sometimes keep someone in jail longer than they would otherwise. This costs local governments money in overtime, food, paperwork, and possible legal trouble if there is a mistake. Analysis from the North Carolina Justice Center found that these costs add up quickly, especially since only one in eight detainers in North Carolina 🇺🇸 led to ICE taking someone into custody.

Some leaders have raised concerns that these extra expenses could instead go toward other public safety needs, helping police and sheriff’s departments with equipment, training, or programs that support everyone in the community.

3. Trust Between Law Enforcement and Immigrants

Another effect is the loss of trust. When immigrant communities feel local police will always cooperate with ICE, they may avoid reporting crimes, talking to officers, or getting help during emergencies. This can make everyone in the community less safe, since local police rely on tips and cooperation to solve crimes and keep order.

Comparing Historical and Current Trends

The recent data from early 2025 fits a longer pattern. For years, on both state and national levels, only a small percentage of people flagged by ICE detainers have actually ended up in federal immigration custody.

For example, in years past, some counties in North Carolina 🇺🇸 tried harder to help ICE by joining programs like 287(g). These programs let local officers help check immigration status, but even then, the majority of cases were for low-level offenses like traffic stops. Over time, as public opinion and local laws have changed, some sheriffs have reduced cooperation with ICE, leading to fewer actual transfers.

Nationally, the ratios have stayed much the same, with most detainers expiring without a transfer.

Why Do People Still Fear Detainers If Most Don’t Lead to Custody?

Even with only about 12% of ICE detainers in North Carolina 🇺🇸 and 14% nationwide resulting in custody, fears remain high for a few reasons:

• The process of being flagged, even if not picked up, can bring a lot of worry, lost wages, or public attention.
• Community members might hear of enforcement operations or see ICE vehicles and believe a much larger crackdown is underway.
• Outdated or false messages—via social media, phone calls, or word of mouth—can spread fast, making it seem like ICE is detaining many more people than it really is.

As reported by VisaVerge.com, a gap often exists between what communities expect from immigration enforcement and the true numbers shown by data.

What Do These Findings Mean for Immigration Policy?

The study’s findings raise questions about how effective detainers really are. If most do not lead to ICE custody, it might be time to rethink how detainers are used or whether local resources should be used in this way.

Some possible questions for policymakers and communities:

• Should local governments keep covering high costs for a process where only one in eight people are picked up?
• What is the real impact on public safety, if most offenses are minor and if community trust in police is weakened?
• Would clearer information about ICE detainers help lower fear and reduce harm in neighborhoods?

Possible Next Steps and Alternatives

If decision-makers want to address the issues found in the study, they could:

• Give clearer information to the public about what typically happens with ICE detainers.
• Review local partnerships with ICE (like 287(g) agreements) and think about whether they help or hurt public safety.
• Look at ways to reduce costs for local jails, especially if most detainers do not result in ICE transfers.
• Work to rebuild trust between law enforcement and immigrant residents, so everyone feels safe reporting crimes or seeking help.

For those who want to see official information about ICE detainers, ICE provides resources and current guidelines on their official page: Learn more on the official ICE website.

Methodology: How the Numbers Were Gathered and Analyzed

The study counted all detainers issued by ICE between January 20 and February 17, both in North Carolina 🇺🇸 and nationally. It then looked at jail records and ICE pickup logs to see how many individuals were actually taken into ICE custody. By linking detainers with custody outcomes, the researchers found exact percentages. The sources used included public records from county jails and ICE, plus recent reports from groups studying immigration enforcement in the state.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

A few things may limit how far these findings can be applied:

• The time period was just under a month, so rates may go up or down during other parts of the year.
• Local policies or national leadership changes could affect how detainers are handled in the future.
• Detainers are only one part of the immigration enforcement process—other tools and programs exist that are not covered by this study.

Key Takeaways

• In North Carolina 🇺🇸, only about 12% of ICE detainers led to someone being taken into ICE custody. Nationwide, about 14% ended in transfers.
• Most people flagged had committed minor crimes or none at all. Serious crimes made up a small slice of the cases.
• High costs for local jails and ongoing fear in communities remain, even with these low transfer rates.
• Overblown reports of ICE activity, spread through news or fake messages, make communities worry more than the true numbers justify.
• Communities, local governments, and lawmakers may want to weigh the real costs and benefits of current detainer practices.

By using clear facts and keeping an eye on both numbers and personal impact, people across North Carolina 🇺🇸 and the United States 🇺🇸 can have better conversations about what ICE detainers do, what they don’t do, and what choices might improve safety and trust for everyone.

Learn Today

ICE Detainer → An official request from ICE asking local law enforcement to hold someone for up to 48 hours beyond normal release.
287(g) Program → A program enabling local law enforcement to partner with ICE, allowing them to check immigration status after arrests.
Secure Communities → An initiative that checks arrestees’ fingerprints against federal immigration databases to flag possible violations.
Local Law Enforcement Cooperation → The degree to which local agencies agree to honor ICE detainers or partner with federal immigration enforcement.
Transfer Rate → The percentage of detainers that actually result in an individual being taken into ICE custody after jail release.

This Article in a Nutshell

A study reveals that although ICE issues hundreds of detainers in North Carolina, only about 12% result in custody transfers. Most flagged individuals are involved in minor offenses, not serious crimes. Persistent fear, high local costs, and a disconnect between perception and data highlight the need for better public understanding.
— By VisaVerge.com

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