In the coming weeks, with the government reopened, Congress will continue to debate how much of the federal budget to allocate to programs supporting vulnerable populations in FY26.

With the administration’s stringent deportation agenda, many representatives will continue to target initiatives that have historically supported smart alternatives to detention for those in deportation proceedings, despite their amply demonstrated benefits. While many arguments against these programs center around their costs and efficacy, statistics show that they are far less costly to taxpayers than the prevailing practice of indefinite detentions.

One such program, the Department of Homeland Security Case Management Pilot Program, has proven to be an economically smart alternative to detention. The average cost of an adult detainee is $165 per person per day. At an eighth the cost of detention, the average cost for case management by a community organization is $14 per person per day, and participants in the programs have a 99% compliance rate with their proceedings. 

In 2025, funding for these programs faced drastic cuts while the budget for ICE’s detention and deportation agenda skyrocketed. Regardless of personal beliefs on the deportation agenda, I urge everyone to call on Maine’s congressional delegation to support these programs that protect families and communities from the fiscal and practical consequences of current, unnecessary detention practices.

Savannah Averitt
Portland