The Focus By Immigration Officials On Detaining Violent Criminals: The Rhetoric Vs. The Data

We constantly hear from the current administration that ICE is largely focusing on detaining immigration violators with violent criminal convictions

There is a lot of data that suggests evidence to the contrary. 

According to recent figures roughly 70% of people detained by ICE since April of 2025 have zero criminal convictions. Of those with convictions, roughly 5% are convictions for violent crimes. 

Between January 1st and July 28th 2025 detentions by ICE of individuals with zero criminal convictions increased roughly 1500% 

Source article by Cato 

https://www.cato.org/blog/5-ice-detainees-have-violent-convictions-73-no-convictions

Totals from April 26th -  November 15th 2025

https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/2025-11/ICE%20Custody%20Data%20as%20of%202025-11-15.pdf

Additional article ICE arrests 

https://www.cato.org/blog/dhs-classifies-just-4-ice-arrests-worst-most-nonviolent-offenses-0

Easy pickin's

Once someone enters the country illegally they are subject to arrest and deportation.  People being deported have received their final order of removal

The post is not criticizing deportations of immigration violators in and of itself. Rather it is critical of the rhetoric the administration has been making about most ICE detentions being of convicted violent criminals. 

 There are all kinds of sources of rhetoric - a lot is slanted/reported to paint a picture of ICE seeking out those without a criminal record - but the reality is if you entered the U S without going thru the correct process ( legally ), you are subject to be deported when found -whether you have a "criminal" record or not. That is the law.

I don't believe anything in my post suggested that people that have  committed immigration violations are not subject to lawful deportation. 

I am simply challenging the assertion that most people detained have been convicted of other crimes. An assertion that the current administration has made repeatedly. 

Trump has repeatedly tried to justify his anti-imnigrant crusade since a decade ago when he told an arena full of cheering supporters that "they're all criminals and rapists."

He recently repeated essentially the same statement. As did several of his lackeys.

When he or his servants refer to the people being deported as criminals, they're claiming that they have committed OTHER criminal offenses besides violations of immigration law. I'm sure that you know that and are just twisting the term in order to justify ICE's actions--as Trump is doing.

You like facts, so let me educate you that the vast majority of those apprehended and detained by ICE have no criminal record.