alternatives to detention (ATD)
What to know
Alternatives to detention (ATD) are policies and practices that ensure migrants’ compliance with immigration court proceedings without holding them in detention centers. When writing about these programs, it’s helpful to include some explanation of them.
The term has at least two meanings. Among community activists, it usually refers to community-based programs that allow migrants to live in noncustodial settings that provide support for their immigration cases. However, many ATD officially recognized by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are subcontracted to subsidiaries of private prison companies and consist of restrictive technologies (such as ankle monitors) and frequent reporting requirements. Major government programs include the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) and the Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP).
In 2025, the Trump Administration announced plans to double the size of the US immigrant detention system, which was already the largest in the world.
Additional resources
- Alternatives to Detention (International Detention Coalition)
- Government Alternatives to Detention (Detention Watch Network)
- A Better Way: Community-Based Programming as an Alternative to Immigrant Incarceration (National Immigrant Justice Center)
Summary
Alternatives to detention (ATD) are policies or practices that prevent the holding of migrants in detention centers while they are involved in immigration court proceedings. Many ATD officially recognized by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are subcontracted to subsidiaries of private prison companies and consist of restrictive technologies (such as ankle monitors) and frequent reporting requirements. If writing about these programs, it’s helpful to include a brief explanation of them.