U.S. immigration detention facilities have reached capacity at about 47,600 beds, a top-level U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official said on Wednesday in a call with reporters.
The federal government is now seeking more bed space for detained illegal immigrants, added the official, who requested anonymity as a condition of the call.
ICE is now expanding its capacity with support from the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Currently, ICE is funded to have an average bed space of more than 41,500 detainees, the official said, adding that ICE is working with lawmakers to obtain more funding to increase capacity….