Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What federal data sources report immigration status for crime in 2024?
Executive summary
Federal agencies that explicitly report criminal data tied to immigration status in recent 2024 reporting include U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), each publishing FY2024 statistics that break out “noncitizen” or “criminal alien” figures [1] [2] [3] [4]. Academic and policy outlets cite state datasets (notably Texas) and federal compilations such as FBI Uniform Crime Reporting only for crime counts — but those do not routinely report immigration status except where matched to immigration agency records [5] [6] [7].
1. Federal enforcement agencies that do report immigration-linked criminal counts — CBP and ICE
Two DHS components openly publish counts of noncitizens with criminal histories or convictions. CBP’s Criminal Alien/Enforcement statistics for FY2024 explain that conviction histories are taken from a CBP database built from law-enforcement record checks and present summaries of “criminal noncitizens” apprehended by Border Patrol (FY 2017–2024) [1] [2]. ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) dashboards and its FY2024 annual report provide breakdowns of arrests, detainers, and people on ICE’s docket by categories such as “U.S. criminal convictions,” “pending criminal charges,” and immigration-only violations; ICE also reports ERO arrest totals and the number of detainers issued in FY2024 [4] [3].
2. What those federal counts actually represent — enforcement touchpoints, not a population prevalence study
CBP and ICE statistics reflect enforcement encounters and administrative dockets, not a representative measure of crime prevalence across the whole U.S. population. CBP data are derived from database checks done after apprehension and describe people interdicted at or near the border or processed by CBP [1] [2]. ICE’s ERO dashboards and FY2024 reporting describe arrests, detainers, and convictions connected to the agency’s enforcement activities and its national docket, for example citing ERO arrests, indictments and convictions in FY2024 and the number of detainers issued [3] [4]. These are operational counts tied to removals and prosecutions, not randomized samples of all crime suspects in U.S. jurisdictions [4] [3].
3. Where national crime-statistics programs fit — FBI UCR and census-based rates
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau are widely used to measure crime rates, and researchers sometimes combine those sources to assess immigrant-related patterns — but UCR does not generally include immigration status for arrested persons, so researchers must link local/state records or other registries to identify immigration status [5]. The American Immigration Council cites FBI UCR and Census population data when analyzing immigrant crime relationships [5].
4. State-level data and academic studies that can identify immigration status
The Migration Policy Institute and other analysts point to Texas as a notable exception: the Texas Department of Public Safety records arrests and convictions by immigration status, and that state’s data have been used in federal and academic studies to estimate undocumented and immigrant offending rates [6] [7]. National Institute of Justice‑funded research using Texas data reported arrest rates by immigration status in 2024-era analysis [8]. That pattern shows researchers often rely on state or local datasets that explicitly capture immigration status rather than a single federal crime dataset [8] [6].
5. How media and policymakers use the federal enforcement numbers — competing narratives
Enforcement-tabulated totals from ICE and CBP are frequently cited by policymakers and news outlets to highlight numbers of noncitizens with criminal histories on federal dockets; e.g., ICE’s FY2024 figures (detainers, docket counts, convictions) are used in official statements and news stories [3] [9]. Advocacy groups and academic outlets counter by pointing out that enforcement dockets do not equal population rates and present peer-reviewed or state-linked studies (e.g., NIJ-funded Texas work) showing lower offending rates for undocumented immigrants in some analyses [8] [7]. Both uses are present in the public record and derive from different data frames: operational counts versus population-rate research [3] [8].
6. Practical guidance: which federal sources to consult and their limits
For someone seeking federal data that links immigration status to criminal history in 2024, start with CBP’s Criminal Alien/Enforcement Statistics and ICE’s ERO dashboards and FY2024 materials for authoritative enforcement counts [1] [2] [4] [3]. Supplement those with FBI UCR population crime totals if you need broader crime-rate context, but note UCR does not routinely report immigration status and therefore requires record linkage or state datasets to produce immigration-status-specific rates [5]. For population-rate research that actually distinguishes documented and undocumented people, look at state datasets such as Texas and NIJ‑funded studies that used them [6] [8].
Limitations: available sources do not mention a single, comprehensive federal crime dataset that reports immigration status nationwide as a routine field; instead the federal picture is a patchwork of enforcement agency dockets, nationwide crime totals (FBI UCR), and state-level records that permit status linkage [4] [5] [6].