DHS internal report shows 86% of ICE detainees have no violent criminal history

An internal document of the Department of Homeland Security has revealed that more than 86 percent of the immigrants detained by the United States (U.S.) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have no violent criminal history.

The document seen by CBS News provided the most detailed statistical outlook of the anti-immigration crackdown by the Trump administration.

The figures have raised serious concerns about the administration’s claim that it was mostly targeting the violent criminals whom President Trump has described as “worst of the worst”.

The documents reveal that ICE arrests have surged since Trump arrived in the Oval office. Though 60 percent of those arrested by ICE have convictions or pending charges, only less than 14 percent count serious violent crimes.

The administration repeatedly claimed that it was targeting murderers, gangsters and rapists. 

However, the DHS document revealed that less than 2 percent of ICE detainees had murder or sexual charges whereas another 2 percent were accused of being gang members.

The internal report states that around 40 percent of people arrested had no charges against them and no criminal record at all.

Public approval for the anti-immigration crackdown has fallen to 46 percent, down from 59 percent at the start of Trump’s second term.

ICE has arrested 393,000 people between January 31, 2025 and January 31, 2026.