Nevada is seeing a rise in ICE detentions, and some activists are trying to turn it into a crisis.
But the real story is simple. When you cross the border illegally, federal law requires detention.
If people don’t like that, the answer is to change the law. Not attack the agency that’s doing its job.
The Las Vegas Sun reported that ICE’s Nevada detention population rose by 31 percent since mid-September. That comes out to about 600 people statewide.
Most are being held at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Pahrump. Activists say the number is “shocking.” But ICE has been open about expanding capacity nationwide.
The agency’s own data shows detention is up across the West. Arizona, California, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Washington all saw similar increases.
Illegal border crossings have surged in the last few years. When that happens, detention goes up. This is not hard to follow.
Critics Ignoring What the Law Actually Says
Some advocates argue that the facilities are not built for the increased numbers. They talk about crowding and fear.
But detention is not optional. The federal government is required by law to hold people who enter without inspection.
Congress wrote that rule. ICE did not.
If people believe the law is wrong, they should push Congress to change it. But until that happens, ICE is expected to enforce it.
That is how a country works. We do not get to pick and choose which laws we follow, especially when national security is involved.
The Safety Argument Cuts Both Ways
Critics also point to deaths in custody.
According to a letter from congressional Democrats, 25 people have died in ICE custody this year. That number sounds alarming until you look at past years.
Over 60,000 people are currently in detention nationwide.
ICE has one of the most heavily monitored detention systems in the federal government. It has on-site medical care, regular inspections and outside oversight.
CoreCivic, which runs the Pahrump facility, strongly disputed activist claims of people being held “12 to a cell.”
The company said that intake areas can hold people briefly when groups arrive at the same time, but that long-term crowding like that does not happen.
Activists may not like private detention centers. But disagreement is not the same thing as fact.
Nevada Is Not a “Sanctuary State”
The Sun story notes that Gov. Joe Lombardo has worked closely with federal officials on immigration enforcement. Nevada is now off the list of so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem praised Nevada’s increased participation in the 287(g) program, which lets local law enforcement help identify and remove violent illegal immigrants.
This matters for Nevada families. Many people here remember what happened when our police officers were overwhelmed during past crime spikes.
Anyone who has lived in Las Vegas long enough knows how fast things can get out of hand when local government loses control.
Illegal Immigration Is Not a Victimless Crime
Critics often say most ICE detainees have no criminal record. What they leave out is that entering the country illegally is itself a violation of federal law.
It is also a direct insult to millions of legal immigrants.
Nevada is home to thousands of people from Mexico, the Philippines, China, El Salvador and many other places who played by the rules and waited years to come here.
They followed the process. They paid the fees. They learned the system.
When someone jumps the line and gets rewarded for it, it undermines faith in the whole system.
Nevada Families Expect Order, Not Chaos
Nevadans are fair people. We welcome legal immigrants every day. But we also expect the law to mean something.
ICE is enforcing the law that Congress wrote. That is how our country protects its borders and its citizens.
In the end, the choice is simple.
If people want a different immigration system, the place to fix it is Washington. Not by attacking the men and women in ICE who are doing the job they were hired to do.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
