ICE Nabs Families, Not Felons With Violent Criminal Records
New data shows 65% of ICE detainees have no convictions, sparking concerns of indiscriminate arrests and political quotas
WASHINGTON — The vast majority of people detained by ICE this fiscal year had no criminal convictions, challenging the government’s narrative that deportations are targeting public safety threats.
According to figures shared with the Cato Institute, as of June 14, ICE had booked 204,297 individuals into detention since the start of fiscal year 2025. Of those, 65% (133,687 people) had no criminal record whatsoever. Even among the rest, more than 93% were not convicted of violent offenses.
The data exposes a widening gap between the public rhetoric surrounding ICE’s mission and the agency’s actual operations. While the administration insists deportation is focused on violent or dangerous individuals, the figures suggest that most arrests are nonviolent, non-criminal, or administrative in nature — with traffic violations, immigration offenses, and minor vice crimes making up the majority of convictions.
“This is the essence of mass deportation,” the report notes. “It is indiscriminate, unfocused, and chaotic.”
From “Public Safety” to “Quota Hunting”
The spike in arrests appears to stem from a May directive by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who reportedly scolded ICE leadership for prioritizing convicted criminals. “What do you mean you’re going after criminals?” Miller asked. “Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7‑Eleven?”
Since then, ICE and Border Patrol have ramped up random workplace sweeps and street arrests, with many of the detained immigrants having deep roots in the U.S. and no history of violence or serious offenses. Agents are increasingly targeting asylum seekers, immigrants attending court, and even those regularly checking in with ICE, instead of individuals posing a clear threat.
“ICE’s deportation agenda is not what is being advertised to the American public,” the report says. “It now has no focus at all.”
Pending Charges ≠ Criminals
ICE also frequently detains immigrants with pending charges, whom it often labels as “criminals” despite lacking a conviction. As of mid-June, ICE had detained nearly 45,000 people with only a pending charge — many of which are eventually dismissed or resolved without a conviction.
The agency has even revoked visas and terminated legal status over dismissed charges. In two documented cases, international students Suguru Onda and Akshar Patel lost legal standing over citations for fishing and reckless driving, respectively — both of which were dismissed.
“ICE admitted in court that it considers even people whose charges were dismissed to still be a ‘criminal’ for purposes of removal,” the report says.
Interior Arrests Skyrocket
The most dramatic shift has occurred in ICE’s interior enforcement operations — the arrests made within U.S. communities rather than at the border. In early January, ICE was arresting about 32 non-criminal immigrants per day in the interior. By early June, that number jumped to 453 per day — a 14-fold increase, representing more than half of all ICE arrests nationwide.
ICE agents, under pressure to meet a 3,000-per-day arrest quota, are now detaining immigrants at rates never seen before, including individuals who have lived peacefully in the U.S. for years.
In fact, 70% of the net increase in ICE detention this year has come from people with no convictions at all.
Squalid Conditions, Broken Priorities
To hit the numbers, ICE has diverted resources from fugitive operations and criminal enforcement to more easily accessible targets — everyday immigrants with no records. At the same time, the agency is housing record numbers in overcrowded, unsanitary detention centers, while running nearly $1 billion over budget by pulling funds from military and law enforcement reserves.
Even ICE agents themselves are pushing back. According to interviews with conservative outlets, David Bier in the CATO report writes, agents say the “quantity over quality” policy is forcing them to leave “dangerous criminal illegal migrants on the streets” to chase politically mandated quotas instead.
Mass Deportation, Not Public Safety
ICE continues to frame opposition to its tactics as “defending criminals,” but the data suggests that violent offenders are not the priority — and likely never were.
“Congress should mandate more transparent reporting from ICE and require that it target only those who pose genuine threats to public safety,” the report concludes.
As ICE operations grow broader and more aggressive, it’s becoming clearer: the true target isn’t violent crime. It’s presence itself.