In reality, data shows that “more than 60 percent of the people detained in at-large arrests since June did not have criminal convictions or pending charges”
As Immigration and Customs Enforcement has expanded operations in major cities, right-wing media have falsely claimed the agency is targeting only “the worst of the worst” criminal migrants. Data and reporting sharply contradict that narrative. ICE records and multiple investigations show that many of those arrested had no criminal record and were detained solely for civil immigration violations. Administration officials have openly acknowledged plans for “collateral arrests,” including migrants without criminal histories and families deported together.
Reporting by CBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ProPublica, and others shows that more than half of those arrested in recent ICE operations lacked criminal records, with only a small fraction convicted of violent offenses. Leaked ICE data further reveals widespread detention of people with no convictions at all, alongside documented arrests of legal residents and U.S. citizens, including students, children, and military veterans.