US prison population hits 1.8 million as ICE detentions rise 75 % amid birthright citizenship ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court ended its term reaffirming birthright citizenship, confirming that anyone born on U.S. soil is a citizen. In the same week, the Department of Justice reported that the national prison population has reached approximately 1.8 million inmates, the highest level among comparable nations. Concurrently, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention numbers have surged by more than 75 % over the past year, driven largely by non‑criminal immigration cases—a 2,450 % increase in detainees without criminal records. Roughly 67 000 single adults and 6 000 family units, including children, are currently held for alleged immigration violations, while about 40 000 individuals are under GPS ankle monitoring as part of alternatives to detention programs.