TL/DR –
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) system for paying for detainee medical care has collapsed, resulting in a backlog of unpaid medical claims that could amount to millions of dollars. The DHS spent $96 million covering more than 233,000 off-site medical and dental care claims in the first 10 months of 2025, before the previous system, managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, was abruptly scrapped. As the new payment processing system is still not in place and medical providers have not been compensated for almost a year, advocates are concerned that detainees are not receiving necessary medical treatment.
Unpaid Medical Claims for Detainees Pile up at Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s detainee medical care payment system has failed, resulting in a backlog of unpaid claims costing millions. The delay in payments raises concerns about deprived essential treatments for immigrant detainees, as medical providers go without compensation for nearly a year.
Recently released federal records show DHS spent $96 million on over 233,000 claims for off-site medical and dental care between January and early October in 2025. Detained immigrants were treated for various conditions such as strokes, pregnancy, suicide attempts, and frostbite. Until recently, DHS depended on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to process these claims, but the payment system broke down when the contract abruptly ended in October
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