An exhaustive USA TODAY Network investigation revealed how the federal immigration system was on the brink of collapse, with administration policies fueling explosive pressure points on the U.S. southern border, overwhelming immigration courts and aid groups and creating harrowing conditions for detainees amid sporadic oversight.
Our investigation focused on how the Trump administration responded to a record influx of migrants on the southern border as it dramatically expanded the nation’s network of immigration detention centers, relying primarily on private contractors that received scant oversight.
