5% of People Detained By ICE Have Violent Convictions, 73% No Convictions - CATO Institute

[mzmolly]

President Donald Trump premised his mass deportation agenda on the idea that he will be “returning millions and millions of criminal aliens.” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has repeatedly claimed that they are arresting the “worst of the worst.” New nonpublic data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leaked to the Cato Institute reveal a different story.

Of people booked into ICE custody this fiscal year (since October 1, 2025):

Nearly three in four (73 percent) had no criminal conviction.
Nearly half had no criminal conviction nor even any pending criminal charges.
Only 8 percent had a violent or property criminal conviction.
Only 5 percent had a violent criminal conviction.
A majority of criminal convicts had vice, immigration, or traffic convictions.
The appendix table at the end of this report provides the detailed breakdown of the data by detailed type of crime.

More at CATO.Org

Interesting source of info.

[SWBTATTReg]

1. The question to be asked and answered is how many arrests, convictions, etc. have ICE employees have had, as a group?

As I have said before, I suspect that a lot of these thugs are formerly (and perhaps still are) thugs belonging to the Proud Boys, and other disgusting groups.

[mzmolly]

2. Excellent question. I'm sure the percentages are much greater.

I fully agree with you about their racist connections. It’s so fucking shameful where we are at today as a country.

[tavernier]

3. 73% of ICE agents detaining people in the streets have violent convictions

5% of ICE agents have no convictions.

[malaise]

4. Rec. Rec. Rec

For visibility

[Wounded Bear]

5. Miller wants to make unlawful entry a capital offense...

He and trump won't be happy until they can have mass hangings like Iran.

[moondust]

6. but...but...

In an interview with Reuters two days ago,

He said he would continue sending armed agents into cities, claiming that his efforts had taken “thousands of murderers out of our country.” There is no evidence to support that assertion.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/five-takeaways-reuters-interview-president-trump-2026-01-15/

They just make up bullshit pretexts to justify their sadistic oppression.

[Kid Berwyn]

7. What percentage of ICE officers have felony convictions in their background?

For starters, there's about 1,300 rioters who attacked Congress for Trump on January 6.

I bet a lot of ICE came from their ranks.

[EX500rider]

8. "Nearly half had no criminal conviction nor even any pending criminal charges" So 1/2+ had criminal convictions...

...or pending criminal convictions?

[mzmolly]

9. No.

Nearly three in four (73 percent) had no criminal conviction.

...

In its posts on this subject, DHS and ICE often include people with pending criminal charges as “criminal arrests,” even though these people have never been found guilty, and the charges are often minor and regularly dismissed. ICE is depriving these people of due process by arresting them prior to a conviction. Nonetheless, ICE data show that nearly half (47 percent) of all ICE detainees this fiscal year.

[EX500rider]

10. yet, as apparently 1/2 had convictions or pending ones

Nearly half had no criminal conviction nor even any pending criminal charges.

[mzmolly]

11. You might read the article.

A majority of criminal convicts had vice, immigration, or traffic convictions.

I guess if we're counting immigration and traffic violations...

[EX500rider]

12. When in a country illegally, best to keep off law enforcements radar

Because when your immigration status comes up you can get deported

[mzmolly]

13. Sounds like you're defending this thuggery.

Law enforcement should enforce and uphold the law, primarily - the US Constitution.

[EX500rider]

14. I don't think previous administrations required a criminal conviction for deportation

The Obama administration deported more than 3.1 million people, I'd be surprised if they were all criminals.
Of course law enforcement officers should uphold the law, that's their job.

Remarking that half had criminal convictions or pending ones is commenting on a fact in the article, not "defending thuggery"

[mzmolly]

15. The Obama administration followed laws and had a thoughtful policy.

... Obama prioritized deporting people convicted of serious crimes and recent arrivals who had no criminal records.

“If you’re not targeting and focused on people who recently arrived, then the border is effectively open,” Muñoz said, adding: “It is more humane to be removing people who have been here two weeks than it is to be removing people who have been here for 20 years and have families.”

Trump, by contrast, she said, has rejected the policy of focusing on new arrivals and criminals and instead wants to deport as many people as possible.

It’s impossible to ignore his rhetoric. He infamously called some Mexican immigrants “rapists,” and focused his presidency around the idea that he would build a wall, get tough with Mexico and deport as many undocumented immigrants as possible.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/13/politics/obama-trump-deportations-illegal-immigration