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A CBS report cited an internal DHS document showing that fewer than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by ICE were charged with or convicted of violent crimes, raising questions about enforcement priorities tied to President Donald Trump’s promise to target the “worst offenders.”
DHS officials pushed back, saying the report downplayed serious offenses labeled “non-violent,” including drug trafficking, child exploitation material distribution, burglary, fraud, DUI, embezzlement, solicitation of minors, and human smuggling. They also emphasized that roughly 70% of those arrested had pending charges or prior convictions, arguing public safety risks remain significant even without a violent classification.
Officials further criticized the methodology, noting some individuals counted as non-criminal lacked U.S. convictions but had confessed to serious crimes abroad. The ICE account stated labeling crimes as non-violent does not make offenders harmless.
The data covered about 393,000 arrests between January 2025 and January 2026. Meanwhile, federal authorities have begun charging civilians accused of interfering with enforcement operations. In Minneapolis, a woman was detained after following immigration agents and later released pending a court date under a federal obstruction statute.
