New ICE data shows administration isn’t just arresting criminals
The number of detainees in ICE custody without a conviction or pending criminal charges increased by more than 1,800 in the first two weeks of February.
The Trump administration has promised to prioritize the “worst first” when it comes to arrests and deportations, but the number of detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody without a criminal conviction or pending criminal charges increased by more than 1,800 in the first two weeks of February, representing 41% of the 4,422 total new detainees in that period, according to new data obtained by NBC News.
During federal fiscal year 2024, the Biden administration made 113,431 immigration arrests, and of those, only 28% were of people who had no criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.
Asked for comment on the data, Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman, said immigrants without criminal records are often “far from innocent” but declined to provide further data.
The new detention data from ICE, which is a snapshot from late last week, shows that its detention centers are at the upper limits of their capacity. The number of people detained went from 39,238 in early February to 41,169 in mid-February. ICE’s detention capacity nationwide is 41,500. It’s unclear how many people who had been in detention were deported or were released through the Alternatives to Detention monitoring program during these two weeks.
NBC News previously reported that President Donald Trump was frustrated by the slow pace of immigrant arrests and deportations, and that two top ICE officials were demoted in response.
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