Notices by Austin Kocher, PhD 🌎 (austinkocher@mastodon.social)

NEWS: Sen. Schiff’s new report finds DHS committed at least $144M in one year to expand ICE & CBP’s arsenal: including AR-style rifles, ammo, tear gas, and TASERs. ICE spending surged 360%. Raises alarm over rapidly expanding, heavily armed immi force.

https://www.schiff.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-in-new-report-sen-schiff-exposes-over-140-million-dedicated-to-ice-and-cbps-deadly-arsenal-of-weapons-and-munitions-since/

BREAKING: Seventh Immigrant Dies in ICE Custody This Year

https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/seventh-immigrant-dies-in-ice-custody

ICE detention isn’t just numbers; it’s geography. 237 facilities nationwide. Network roughly doubled. Now fully mapped at DetentionReports.com, with facility comparisons and contract archives. See the system.

Learn more about it on my substack: https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/the-best-source-of-ice-detention

Detention Reports has been updated to include a national map of all active ICE detention facilities that link to individual facility reports. Learn about this new feature and other new features at my latest post: https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/the-best-source-of-ice-detention

The Wall Street Journal cited my analysis showing detention growth is driven almost entirely by people without criminal convictions. Here's exactly how I got those numbers.

https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/show-your-work-the-math-behind-my

Less than three hours after the shooting, DHS stated the agent "fired defensive shots" out of "fear for his life." They claimed Pretti "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement." This before any investigation, based on a photo of a gun placed on a car seat.

Important analysis from former DOJ Civil Rights prosecutor Julia Gegenheimer on what a proper investigation of Alex Pretti's killing would look like. Strong early indications that federal authorities are again rushing to conclusions without appropriate investigative steps. 🧵

The photo DHS posted raises serious questions. Assuming the gun wasn't found on that car seat, it had been moved before being photographed. It wasn't in an evidence bag, labeled, or stored securely. This compromises any later ballistics or forensic testing on that item.

This mirrors what we saw after Renee Good's killing: officials branding a dead U.S. citizen a "violent rioter" and "domestic terrorist" within hours, before investigation. When leaders prejudge outcomes, they signal that accountability is not the goal.

https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/the-trump-administrations-abdication

DHS reportedly tried to keep state and local law enforcement away from the scene. Officers presumably better equipped to process a crime scene were excluded. Federal agents also detained and transported bystanders (potential witnesses) to a federal detention center.

Essential reading from Julia Gegenheimer at Just Security on the investigation failures unfolding in Minneapolis.

https://www.justsecurity.org/129654/investigation-alex-prettis-killing/

How important is it to have ICE on the streets of Minneapolis right now? A reminder that nearly *all* of the growth of ICE detention since October has come from people with no convictions and most of it comes from people with no criminal history at all.

https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/92-of-ice-detention-growth-in-fy

US immigration agents detain two-year-old Minnesota girl: ‘depravity beyond words’

DHS detain a toddler and her father on Thursday and fly them to Texas before returning child on judge’s order

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/23/us-immigration-two-year-old-minnesota-girl?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky&CMP=bsky_gu

Trump admin is putting Iranians on a deportation flights now, even as Trump says he wants to help Iranians during this period of violent government repression. These deportation flights could violate national and international non-refoulment law.

https://niacouncil.org/trump-administration-planning-new-deportation-flight-to-iran-as-crackdown-death-toll-mounts/

Arkansas lawmakers learned that all but 12 state troopers have received ICE training under the 287(g) program. State police say they’re “assisting only,” but detentions tied to ICE are rising statewide.

https://katv.com/news/local/how-deep-is-arkansas-state-police-involvement-with-ice-colonel-mike-hagar-immigration-attorney-mike-hagar-immigration-customs-enforcement-springdale-washington-county-detain-287g-program-task-force-warrant-service-officer-soma-sheriffs-tren-de-aragua

ICE just reported its fourth in-custody death of 2026. It’s only January 10.

No news outlets have reported on this yet.

In a deadly start to the year, ICE announced the agency’s THIRD detention death of 2026 late Friday night. People are dying in detention at a rate of one every three days right now.

https://open.substack.com/pub/detentionkills/p/3-deaths-in-ice-custody-in-the-1st?r=cg7zb&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay

ICE shot and killed a woman in a vehicle at point blank range today in Minneapolis. Make no mistake: this death is not only on the reckless officer at the scene, but on President Trump. Stop fomenting chaos and violence. Get your henchmen under control. This was an avoidable tragedy.

ICE Detainer Data Now Available in Immigration Enforcement Dashboard

View the Deportation Data Project's detainer data using this dashboard's interactive visualizations and download sub-sets of data.

https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/ice-detainer-data-now-available-in

ICE is detaining 68,442 people, the highest number ever recorded. The fastest growth in detention isn’t among people with serious criminal convictions, but people with no criminal history.

Full data and analysis on my substack: https://austinkocher.substack.com/p/record-number-68442-immigrants-will