Immigrants with no criminal records now the majority in US immigration detention

Immigrants with no criminal records now form the majority of people detained nationwide, according to the latest ICE data. The change contradicts the Trump administration’s repeated assurance that its enforcement efforts target only “the worst of the worst.”

According to official data as of Sept 25, there are currently a total of 59,762 people in ICE detention across the U.S. Of that number, 15,009 individuals (25%) face pending criminal charges, while 17,007 (28%) have been convicted of a crime. The largest group, made up of 27,746 individuals (46%), have neither a criminal conviction nor any pending charges.

The rise in non-criminal detentions follows expanded use of collateral arrests, in which individuals who are not targeted by immigration actions are detained when encountered during operations. The Department of Homeland Security also introduced financial incentives to encourage local cooperation, offering reimbursements and logistical support that have fueled broader participation in joint operations and the detention of immigrants without criminal charges.

The data stands in direct contrast to Trump’s earlier statements that immigration enforcement would focus on serious offenders. “The Trump Administration remains relentless in our mission to apprehend and remove the scores of dangerous criminal illegal immigrants who were allowed to infiltrate our communities by incompetent politicians,” a statement from the White House declared.

Advocacy groups have condemned the expansion of enforcement policies that detain large numbers of immigrants regardless of criminal background. “This illegal policy threatens to imprison millions of hardworking immigrants with no criminal records and deep ties to their communities, with no recourse,” said Tim Macdonald, legal director of the ACLU of Colorado.