GAO Details $9 Billion DOJ Spending on Noncitizen Incarcerations Since FY 2016
A new Government Accountability Office report reveals Department of Justice spending on noncitizen incarcerations exceeded $9 billion between fiscal years 2016 and 2023, despite a 44 percent drop in federal noncitizen inmate populations and declining state-level reimbursements.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a comprehensive study tracking federal and state noncitizen incarcerations, convictions, ICE removals, and related fiscal outlays. The Department of Justice (DOJ) expended over $9 billion between fiscal years 2016 and 2023 on noncitizen detention and state reimbursements. Specifically, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) absorbed approximately $8 billion in operational expenses for noncitizen housing, while the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) distributed $1.44 billion to state and local jurisdictions to offset unfunded detention costs.
Despite significant federal outlays, the average annual volume of incarcerated noncitizens fell sharply across federal and state systems. Noncitizens held by the BOP decreased by 44 percent from approximately 36,300 in FY 2017 to roughly 20,300 in FY 2024. Within the federal inmate population, noncitizens represent a shrinking proportion. Immigration-related charges constituted over 50 percent of convictions for BOP-incarcerated noncitizens, followed by drug offenses at 30 percent. Concurrently, state-level SCAAP-eligible incarcerations dropped 43 percent between state fiscal years 2016 and 2022, though top state prison systems reported convictions spanning serious felonies, including violent crimes and narcotics distribution.
The operational handoff between federal correctional systems and immigration enforcement demonstrates a high processing throughput. Between FY 2017 and FY 2024, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully removed approximately 84,800 noncitizens—representing 76 percent of the 111,200 individuals who completed a term of BOP incarceration. The remaining cohort highlights ongoing friction points in post-custodial processing, diplomacy, and jurisdictional holds that impact federal resource planning and deportation logistics.
For government officials, defense planners, and public sector contractors, the findings highlight a complex shift in federal resource allocation. While declining inmate numbers reduce direct operational pressure on BOP infrastructure, the sustained multi-billion-dollar price tag underscores the high cost of interagency detention management and state assistance programs. Federal leadership must evaluate data integration across DOJ and Department of Homeland Security networks to streamline post-conviction removals, optimize SCAAP grant workflows, and address systemic cost drivers across the federal justice and law enforcement architecture. (Source: GAO Reports)
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