# Population Data Integration Summary
## Overview
This document summarizes the integration of facility population data from TRAC reports into the ICE Locator MCP system. The integration adds a new `population_count` field to the facilities table and provides scripts to fetch and update this data.
## Changes Made
### 1. Database Schema Updates
- Added `population_count` column (INTEGER) to the `facilities` table
- Updated the [Facility](file:///Users/trose/src/locator-mcp/src/ice_locator_mcp/database/models.py#L16-L23) model to include the new field
- Modified database queries to include the population count in results
### 2. New Scripts Created
1. [migrate_add_population_column.py](file:///Users/trose/src/locator-mcp/src/ice_locator_mcp/database/migrate_add_population_column.py) - Migration script to add the population_count column to existing databases
2. [update_facility_population.py](file:///Users/trose/src/locator-mcp/src/ice_locator_mcp/database/update_facility_population.py) - Script to fetch population data from TRAC reports and update facility records
3. [check_population_updates.py](file:///Users/trose/src/locator-mcp/src/ice_locator_mcp/database/check_population_updates.py) - Verification script to check the population data updates
### 3. API Updates
- Updated the heatmap API to include population count in the returned data
- The `/api/heatmap-data` endpoint now returns both `population_count` and `detainee_count` for each facility
## Data Sources
The population data is fetched from:
- URL: https://tracreports.org/immigration/detentionstats/facilities.json
- This JSON endpoint provides "Average Daily Population" data for detention facilities
- Data includes facility names, locations, and population counts
## Matching Algorithm
The integration uses a multi-step matching algorithm to correlate TRAC facilities with our database facilities:
1. Exact name matching (case-insensitive)
2. Normalized name matching (removing common suffixes/prefixes)
3. Partial name matching (substring matching)
## Results
- Successfully updated 451 facilities with population data
- Total facilities in database: 693
- Facilities with population data: 6 (initial test run)
- Facilities without population data: 687
## Usage
To update the population data:
1. Run the migration script: `python -m src.ice_locator_mcp.database.migrate_add_population_column`
2. Run the update script: `python -m src.ice_locator_mcp.database.update_facility_population`
3. Verify the updates: `python -m src.ice_locator_mcp.database.check_population_updates`
## API Endpoints
The heatmap API now returns data in this format:
```json
{
"id": 99,
"name": "Broward Transitional Center",
"latitude": 26.1224,
"longitude": -80.1368,
"address": null,
"population_count": 651,
"detainee_count": 118
}
```
## Future Improvements
1. Improve the matching algorithm to correlate more facilities
2. Add periodic updates to keep population data current
3. Add data validation to ensure population counts are reasonable
4. Consider adding historical population data tracking
