President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to deport "the worst of the worst," framing his immigration crackdown as a mission to remove dangerous criminals —including murderers, rapists, and child predators— who he claims entered the U.S. illegally under the Biden administration. He has promised mass deportations on an unprecedented scale to protect law-abiding citizens from violent threats.
But government arrest data tells a different story.
While Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ramped up arrests since Trump's return to office, the majority of those detained have no criminal convictions. Among those who do, relatively few are high-level offenders, starkly contrasting the administration's rhetoric.
A Disconnect Between Rhetoric and Reality
As of June 29, ICE held 57,861 detainees, with 71.7% (41,495 individuals) having no criminal convictions. This includes 14,318 with pending charges and 27,177 subject to immigration enforcement but with no known criminal record.
ICE classifies detainees by threat level (1 being highest). As of June 23, 84% of those held in 201 facilities nationwide were deemed "no ICE threat level." Only 7% were Level 1 (serious criminals), while 4% and 5% were Levels 2 and 3, respectively.
"There’s a profound disconnect between the rhetoric and the reality," said Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the UCLA Law Immigration Policy and Law Center. "They claim to target violent, dangerous individuals with extensive criminal histories, yet overwhelmingly arrest people with no criminal records at all."
The Data Behind Detentions
Nonpublic data obtained by the Cato Institute reveals that, as of June 14, 65% of the 204,000+ people processed by ICE in fiscal year 2025 (beginning October 2024) had no criminal convictions. Of those with records, only 6.9% committed violent crimes, while 53% were nonviolent offenders, primarily immigration, traffic, or drug-related violations.
Arrests surged in late May after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller mandated a daily quota of 3,000 arrests, up from 650 earlier in Trump’s term. ICE’s June arrests jumped another 28% from May.
Administration's Defense
DHS Deputy Press Secretary Tricia McLaughlin dismissed claims that ICE ignores criminals, stating Secretary Kristi Noem directed the agency to prioritize "the worst of the worst, including gang members, murderers, and rapists." She classified both convicted migrants and those with pending charges as "criminal illegal aliens."
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson emphasized the administration’s focus on dangerous offenders, citing recent operations against child labor exploitation and high-profile arrests. "Any suggestion that we’re not targeting these criminals is completely false," she said.
Crime Rates and Misconceptions
Studies consistently show immigrants commit violent crimes at lower rates than native-born Americans. A 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research paper found that immigrants have had lower incarceration rates for 150 years, with a 60% reduction since 1960.
Experts warn Trump’s rhetoric fuels harm.
"It makes immigrant communities feel attacked and marginalized," Arulanantham said. "It creates political and social space for hatred, including hate crimes."
Lauren-Brooke Eisen of the Brennan Center added, "All Americans should want safe communities, but misleading statements from the president distort reality and undermine public safety."
(Adapted from the Los Angeles Times in Spanish)