Trump Administration Targets Unauthorized Immigrants with No Criminal Record

Strategic Insights -

As the Trump administration ramps up arrests of unauthorized immigrants, an analysis of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data by The Washington Post reveals that more than half of those removed from the country since January 20 do not have a criminal conviction. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem's assertion that ICE officers are arresting the "worst of the worst" is contradicted by the data, which shows that as arrests increase, the share of detained migrants with a criminal conviction has been dropping. The administration's goal to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history appears unlikely to be met, with current data showing a substantial increase in arrests, but one that is still below what Trump and his advisers are attempting to do. This trend could change as Congress prepares to infuse DHS with a massive amount of cash.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 60 percent of the undocumented immigrants removed from the country since January 20 did not have a criminal conviction.
  • Approximately 40 percent of those arrested had a conviction, with many of their crimes involving nonviolent offenses.
  • The proportion of detainees with a criminal conviction has fallen in recent months, dropping from 46 percent in January to 30 percent in June.
  • The number of Venezuelan immigrants arrested by ICE quadrupled in the last two years, accounting for a significant portion of the total arrests.
  • Mexican migrants accounted for the most arrests, making up the largest share of ICE's detained population.
  • The Trump administration's goal to deport 1 million migrants this year appears unlikely to be met, despite Congressional approval of $170 billion more in spending on immigration enforcement and border security.
  • The vast majority of people removed by ICE are men, accounting for nearly 90 percent of removals.
  • A Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the Deportation Data Project and UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy obtained publicly available data on ICE arrests and removals, but does not include information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Statistics:

  • As of June 11, ICE had made more than twice as many arrests from January 20 to June 11 compared to the same period last year.
  • Since May 20, ICE has averaged nearly 1,000 arrests per day, compared to about 600 in the months prior.
  • The number of people taken into custody has shot up over the past month, resulting in a significant increase in overall arrest rates.
  • The data shows that 90 percent of removals are men, with the majority of the remaining 10 percent being women.
  • ICE officers have made a significant portion of their arrests in Texas, Florida, and California, but other states have also seen substantial increases.
  • In Virginia, ICE officers arrested four times as many people in the first months of the Trump administration as they did over the same period in 2024.

Sources:

  • The Washington Post
  • Deportation Data Project
  • UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy
  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Migration Policy Institute
  • Congressional Republicans