Vaccination rate among immigrants held by ICE remains low as infections surge

Just over 1,300 immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, even as the number of detainees and infections among them surge, according to data obtained by CBS News.

ICE was holding more than 27,000 immigrants as of last week, an 82% increase from the start of the Biden administration in late January, when the detainee population stood below 15,000. During that same time period, over 10,000 COVID-19 cases among detainees have been reported, according to a CBS News analysis of ICE data. Overall, ICE has reported over 19,000 COVID-19 infections and nine virus-related deaths among immigrants in its custody throughout the pandemic. As of earlier this week, there were 900 active cases in 51 detention facilities overseen by ICE.