ICE Health Service Corps
Stored: ICE Health Service Corps
| Type | Program |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Organization | ICE Health Service Corps |
| Top Organization | Department of Homeland Security |
| Creation Legislation | Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 |
| Website | Website |
| Purpose | The ICE Health Service Corps provides direct medical, dental, and mental health care to detained noncitizens in ICE custody. It aims to ensure safe, high-quality health care delivery while supporting immigration enforcement operations. |
| Program Start | 1980s |
| Initial Funding | Congressional appropriations |
| Duration | Ongoing |
| Historic | No |
ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) is a Department of Homeland Security initiative that delivers comprehensive health care services to over 138,000 detained noncitizens annually across 18 ICE-owned facilities in 10 states, overseeing an additional 186,900 detainees in 129 contracted facilities nationwide, ensuring medical, dental, mental health, and public health support as of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. Operating under ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), IHSC employs a workforce of over 1,750—including U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps officers, federal civil servants, and contract staff—executing a $315 million budget in FY 2020 to provide screenings within 12 hours of arrival, comprehensive assessments within 14 days, and specialized care like the Special Operations Unit’s support for Coast Guard missions, adapting to 2025 challenges like chronic disease management amid ongoing oversight debates.
Goals
- Deliver high-quality, safe health care to detained noncitizens in ICE custody.[1]
- Reduce global disease and support ICE’s enforcement and removal operations.
- Ensure timely medical screenings and evidence-based treatments for detainees.
Organization
The ICE Health Service Corps is sponsored by its own entity within ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), under the Department of Homeland Security, headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 18 IHSC-staffed facilities and oversight of 129 contracted sites.[2] Funding comes from Congressional appropriations, with a workforce of over 1,750—including PHS officers, civil servants, and contractors—managed by the IHSC Assistant Director, supported by units like the Medical Case Management Unit (MCMU) and Special Operations Unit (ISOU), collaborating with federal (e.g., Coast Guard) and non-federal partners.
The leader at the Department of Homeland Security level is the ICE Director, with IHSC led by Assistant Director Dr. Stewart D. Smith (as of February 20, 2025).
History
The ICE Health Service Corps traces its roots to the 1980s Division of Immigration and Health Services (DIHS) under the U.S. Public Health Service, formalized within ICE post-2003 under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, expanding health roles from Ellis Island’s 1891 quarantine legacy.[3] It grew with ICE’s formation in 2003, managing detainees’ unique health needs—evident in FY 2020’s $315 million response to COVID-19—and by 2025, oversees 45,500 beds, adapting to chronic care and oversight critiques from groups like CRCL (2023 memo).
Funding
Initial funding in the 1980s came from Congressional appropriations, though specific IHSC amounts are not isolated from early ICE budgets.[4] Funding began in the 1980s and continues, with FY 2020 at $315 million (up $16.8 million from FY 2019), supporting direct care and oversight of 45,500 beds in FY 2024, with no end date as appropriations sustain operations like 2025’s chronic disease focus.
Implementation
The program is implemented through direct care at 18 IHSC-staffed facilities—screening within 12 hours, assessing within 14 days—and oversight of 129 contracted facilities via the Field Medical Coordinator Program, using CAMPD-like systems for compliance.[5] It operates continuously with no end date, adapting in 2025 to provide gender-specific care and support ICE missions like repatriation flights, balancing enforcement with health needs.
Related
- Congress to Campus
- Stennis Congressional Staff Fellows Program
- Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program
External links
- https://www.ice.gov/detain/health-service-corps
- https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/home - HUD HOME Program
- https://www.dhs.gov/ - DHS Overview
- wikipedia:ICE Health Service Corps
Social media
References
- ↑ "ICE Health Service Corps Overview," ICE, https://www.ice.gov/detain/health-service-corps, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "ICE Health Service Corps Structure," ICE, https://www.ice.gov/detain/health-service-corps, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "IHSC History," ICE, https://www.ice.gov/detain/health-service-corps, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "ICE Health Service Corps Funding," ICE, https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-releases-first-health-service-corps-annual-report, accessed February 19, 2025.
- ↑ "IHSC Implementation," ICE, https://www.ice.gov/detain/health-service-corps, accessed February 19, 2025.