The Trump administration has emphasized deporting immigrants illegally in the U.S. convicted of violent crimes, like sexual assault and homicide. However, the actual number of authorities arresting those individuals has been relatively low.Â
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s own data, obtained by NBC News, between Oct. 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025, a period that partially overlapped with the Biden administration, ICE had information on certain migrants convicted of serious crimes. However, authorities had not arrested or detained the majority of these individuals, despite the Trump administration’s stated focus on removing violent offenders. This timeframe includes the final months of the Biden administration and the early months of Trump’s second term.
ICE arrest and detention figures
According to NBC News, internal ICE data shows that agents arrested and booked 185,042 individuals into immigration detention centers during that period. Of those, 65,041 had prior criminal convictions.
In fall 2024, ICE reported that more than 28,000 convicted criminals, including those guilty of homicide or sexual assault, were on ICE’s non-detained docket, known to ICE but not in custody. The agency acknowledged it did not know the exact whereabouts of all individuals.
New ICE data shows that from Oct. 1 to May 31, ICE arrested only 6% of people who had illegally migrated to the U.S. with known homicide convictions. Agents only arrested 11% with sexual assault convictions. Nearly half of those in ICE custody have no criminal charges or convictions, according to ICE data.
A senior Department of Homeland Security official told NBC News that arresting serious criminals is harder because of resource demands. The officials said the agency has shifted from targeting high-risk offenders to focusing on detaining and deporting all migrants illegally in the U.S.
Congressional response and request for data
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, joined by five other members of Congress, sent a letter to ICE earlier this month requesting data on arrests of serious criminals, noting bipartisan support for targeting the “worst of the worst.”
“While we do agree that we are a nation of laws—and that all who crossed our borders illegally are subject to those laws—there are levels of priority that must be considered when it comes to immigration enforcement. Every minute that we spend pursuing an individual with a clean record is a minute less that we dedicate to apprehending terrorists or cartel operatives,” Gonzales and five other members of Congress wrote in a letter to ICE on June 11.
“We stand by President Trump to ensure our border security is restored. However, in order to truly claim success, we need to give absolute priority to every violent offender and convicted criminal illegal alien present in our nation,” he continued.
President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, stated that federal immigration enforcement would prioritize the detention and removal of immigrants illegally in the country with criminal convictions. However, he also emphasized a broader approach, telling ABC News shortly after Trump’s inauguration, “If you’re in the country illegally, you’re on the table.”
