Providence Journal

Uncomfortable detainee statistics

This is in reference to the story "ICE has arrested over 300 people in RI" (News, Sept. 2) .

Likely almost all of your readers were disappointed by that headline. Some would think the number low and Rhode Island has not been cooperating. Some, like myself, would think that the number represents 300 lives disrupted.

In a human tragedy such as this, statistics are uncomfortable. It is worthwhile, however, to look at the Trump administration's plan and view its likely conclusion. The administration has stated it wants 1,000 detainees a day, 365,000 a year. In 3 years they would have a little over 1 million detainees. At that rate detaining the estimated 15 million undocumented aliens in our country would take 45 years. In human terms,

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