However, GAO discovered, ICE had difficulty successfully executing this multiplication problem in fiscal 2014, 2015 and 2018.
“During our review of ICE’s fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2015 budget requests, we calculated the total amounts requested for ICE’s immigration detention costs using its formula (see fig. 3) and the ADP and bed rate figures provided in the budget request and compared it with ICE’s requested amount,” said he report. “Based on our calculations, the amounts ICE requested are not consistent (by a difference of $34.7 million for fiscal year 2014 and $129 million for fiscal year 2015) with the figures used to develop their estimate.18 ICE officials acknowledged the error.”
“The fiscal year 2018 request also contains a multiplication error that resulted in ICE requesting less funds—$4,000—than using the correct calculation,” said the report.
In Table 4, the report shows what ICE calculated the “bed rate” to be $127.82 for fiscal 2016 (based on the actual data for the first three quarters of that year). That made the cost for detaining an illegal alien for 365 days in that year $46,654.30.
According to Table 4, ICE also estimated that the “bed rate” would be $132.59 for fiscal 2017 and $133.99 for fiscal 2018.
Assuming that the $133.99 “bed rate” for fiscal 2018 is accurate, that means it will cost the federal government $48,906.35 to detain an illegal alien for 365 days this year.
Article Appeared @https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/46654-annual-cost-detaining-illegal-alien-exceeds-average-american