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, unfo…