by Sharelle B. McNair
February 10, 2026
In cities throughout the U.S., ICE has been beneath scrutiny for his or her arresting practices and what prison fees immediate them.
Questions of “What is de facto the purpose?” have began to fly as a report revealed that lower than 14% of immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers didn’t have violent prison information, CBS Information experiences.
An inside doc from the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) turned exterior, highlighting that out of roughly 400,000 immigrants arrested by ICE beneath President Donald Trump’s second reign, beneath 14% had convictions and even fees for violent prison offenses. The brand new data undermines the Trump Administration’s steady celebrations of cracking down on unlawful immigration, which Trump and others usually label because the “worst of the worst,” placing the highlight on capturing harmful and violent criminals residing illegally within the U.S.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
ICE has had a dramatic uptick in arrests for the reason that president returned to workplace. Near 60% over the previous yr held violent prison fees or convictions, however inside that very same inhabitants, a majority didn’t. Trump and administration aides usually spotlight the aim of focusing on murderers, rapists, and “gangsters,” however the brand new knowledge point out that beneath 2% of these detained by ICE held murder or sexual assault fees or convictions.
An extra 2% of arrests had been accused of being gang members.
The truth is, near 40% of all detainees captured by ICE throughout Trump’s first yr again didn’t have prison information in any respect, with some being accused of civil immigration offenses like residing stateside illegally or overstaying their welcome. The numbers assist a December 2025 report revealing that out of roughly 20,000 individuals arrested by ICE officers between Jan. 20 and Oct. 15, over a 3rd of them lacked prison information.
In cities throughout the U.S., ICE has been beneath scrutiny for its arresting practices and what prison fees prompted them. In line with Information 4 San Antonio, brokers traumatized the household of Gonzalo Mejia Ortega after they charged into his dwelling on the lookout for him over accusations of evading a visitors cease. “The man locked himself in his room, however they went after him there, too,” a girl who lives on the dwelling mentioned.
Homeland Safety officers declare Ortega had three prior arrests for home assault; nevertheless, the warrant was for unlawful re-entry. A earlier investigation pinpointed a 2011 case of unlawful re-entry however failed to seek out any report of home assault arrests.
The disparities and backlash appear to be trickling right down to American voters. A ballot discovered assist for Trump’s deportation efforts fell to 46%, down from 59% initially of his second time period. A bit over 60% of survey contributors accuse the brokers of being “too robust.”
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