Less than 14% of those arrested by ICE in Trump's 1st year back in office had violent criminal records, document shows [View all]

Source: CBS News

February 9, 2026 / 4:00 AM EST


Less than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Trump's first year back in the White House had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document obtained by CBS News.

The official statistics contained in the DHS document, which had not been previously reported publicly, provide the most detailed look yet into who ICE has arrested during the Trump administration's far-reaching deportation operations across the U.S.

The internal DHS figures undermine frequent assertions by the Trump administration that its crackdown on illegal immigration is primarily targeting dangerous and violent criminals living in the U.S. illegally, people Mr. Trump and his lieutenants have regularly called the "worst of the worst."

The statistics show ICE has dramatically increased arrests since Mr. Trump's return to office. Nearly 60% of ICE arrestees over the past year had criminal charges or convictions, the document indicates. But among that population, the majority of the criminal charges or convictions are not for violent crimes.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-violent-criminal-records-trump-first-year/