The ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) is a program office within ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) — and the only entity within ICE responsible for providing essential health care for all noncitizens detained in ICE custody.

IHSC’s staff deliver safe, high-quality health care to noncitizens in ICE custody by providing a variety of medical services, ranging from routine checkups to major surgeries.

IHSC’s Core Services

• Administer a detention health system that provides direct health care in ICE-owned facilities
• Oversee compliance with health care-related national detention standards in non-IHSC-staffed facilities that house detained noncitizens in ICE custody
• Support repatriation and special operations missions
• Coordinate off-site care and reimbursement for off-site health care services provided to detained noncitizens

Comprehensive Health Care

ICE’s national detention standards and other ICE policies require facilities to provide comprehensive medical and mental health care for noncitizens from the moment they arrive at a facility and throughout their time in custody.

ICE detention standards require a medical intake screening — including a mental health screening — within 12 hours of arrival at a facility and a comprehensive health assessment, including a physical examination and mental health screening by a licensed health care professional, within 14 days of arrival.

Facilities provide access to daily sick calls and 24-hour emergency care. Detained noncitizens have access to a continuum of health care services, including screening, prevention, health education, diagnosis and treatment while in ICE custody.

IHSC Fiscal Year 2022

In FY 2022, IHSC administered and managed the health care system that provided direct care to more than 118,000 noncitizens housed at 19 IHSC-staffed facilities across the nation. The health care provided included medical, dental, mental health care, as well as public health and disease prevention programs.

IHSC also oversaw compliance with ICE detention standards related to health care for more than 120,500 detained noncitizens housed in 163 non-IHSC-staffed facilities, totaling more than 41,500 beds.

ICE executed a budget totaling $324 million on detained noncitizen health care in FY 2022, which includes the cost of operating the detention health system administered by IHSC and the cost of detention contracted facilities.