Less Than 10% of Immigrants Targeted By ICE Have Serious Criminal Conviction
Donald Trump claims he's targeting criminals, but less than 10% of immigrants targeted have a serious criminal conviction.
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Less than 10% of immigrants being targeted even have a serious criminal conviction. This fact flies in the face of the Trump administration’s constant messaging and false claims about targeting violent criminals.
“Less than 10% of the roughly 185,000 people booked into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody from October 1, 2024, through May 31, 2025, have been convicted of serious crimes like murder, rape, assault or robbery,” CNN reported.
(I)nternal government documents obtained by CNN show that only a fraction of migrants booked into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since October have been convicted of serious violent or sexual crimes.
More than 75% of people booked into ICE custody in fiscal year 2025 had no criminal conviction other than an immigration or traffic-related offense, according to ICE records from October through the end of May. And less than 10% were convicted of serious crimes like murder, assault, robbery or rape.
As we can all see, this data stretches back into President Biden’s presidency, going to show that Republicans’ claims that Democratic presidents had “wide open borders” are false.
In fact, both Obama and Biden prioritized deporting proven violent criminals, but they also prioritized a lawful and humane process that included due process. Even then, the system was and is barbaric and in desperate need of reform, but it is Congress’ job to change immigration laws.
However, ICE detentions of non-criminals has risen 800% under Trump, according to Reuters:
The number of people booked into immigration detention who have been charged only with immigration violations has jumped eight-fold since President Donald Trump took office, government data shows, undercutting his anti-crime message.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention statistics show the number of detainees arrested by ICE with no other criminal charges or convictions rose from about 860 in January to 7,800 this month - a more than 800% increase.
Still, having a president that tries to uphold the value of humanity in our system matters. And having a president like Trump who stokes violence and aggression nonstop also matters.
The Trump administration has been dehumanizing and demonizing the people they grab off the streets and in church parking lots and homes by claiming that the majority of them are criminals.
“But the internal data reviewed by CNN goes deeper, making clear that even among those convicted of crimes, a substantial percentage faced only relatively minor charges”:
The internal data covers the more than 185,000 immigrants who have been booked into ICE custody during the last months of the Biden administration and first months of the Trump administration, including those detained by ICE agents and those detained by Customs and Border Protection who were then placed in ICE custody.”
Again, the act of being here without documentation is NOT a crime. The ACLU explains:
The act of being present in the United States in violation of the immigration laws is not, standing alone, a crime. While federal immigration law does criminalize some actions that may be related to undocumented presence in the United States, undocumented presence alone is not a violation of federal criminal law. Thus, many believe that the term “illegal alien,” which may suggest a criminal violation, is inaccurate or misleading.
Yes, they are also getting seriously violent criminals, but SO WERE OBAMA AND BIDEN.
Contrary to the messaging, most people opposed to Trump’s immigration policies (aka, what is seen as violent and aggressive kidnapping via unidentified masked maybe not trained maybe trained “ICE” agents) are not suggesting that we have open borders. Most people understand the pragmatic logistics and necessity of immigration laws. But people have hearts and they want to see our values upheld; the values that make this country the aspirational place it once was.
Deporting babies is not it. Dragging non-violent family members out into the streets is not it. Grabbing people from church parking lots, Home Depot, dentists, immigration hearings, and more is not it.
The Los Angeles Times did an interview with a family grappling with the issue of what to tell their children about their undocumented father and if he would come home at night, which revealed the human toll the Trump raids are taking on children and families.
“Could mom be arrested? What happens if dad can’t go to work? These and other queries are sparking excruciating — and potentially life-altering — discussions centered on planning for the possible deportation of a family member.
Parents are often conflicted about how much to tell their children — even when dealing with ordinary issues. But the intense anguish some feel at this moment has exacerbated the dilemma.”
There is no justification for grabbing children in such a traumatic way.
This is how third world countries operate and it’s not acceptable here, which is why it counts as an act of political violence to detain people in this manner, where they might be sent to another country or to a detention center that their lawmakers are not allowed to inspect in yet another violation of the law.
It’s unconscionable to inflict this kind of trauma on children and neighbors. It also does not send a message of freedom.
Donald Trump is a criminal. Babies are not criminals, and neither are undocumented people.
What do you think about the real immigration statistics? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
I live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex (Tarrant County, actually) that has a combined population of over 8.3 million residents. We've had tens of thousands of undocumented Hispanics here long before I was born. In my 78 years I can't recall ever seeing or hearing about an illegal alien committing any kind of crime.
Just to show you how these folks blend seamlessly into our communities I offer this short story : Last week I had a late lunch (3pm) at a Mexican restaurant that's been in business at least 40 years. I missed the lunch crowd and had this large restaurant to myself. My waitress, Reyna, SPOKE NO ENGLISH. I had to point at the menu to show her what I wanted. These nice folks are EVERYWHERE. And the GOP knows they're here. So does Trump.
Trump's directions to ICE to terrorize L.A., Chicago and New York are just the actions of a small, petty, insecure little malignant narcissist.
I would question how many of the ICE agents really are ICE agents. From the pictures I've seen many, not all, wear masks and hats down low, so you can only see their eyes. No uniforms. No ID. How many of these are mercenaries hired by God knows who, and not ICE, but being allowed by ICE to grab whoever doesn't meet the standards that they set?