Fact check: Of the people arrested by ICE, how many are violent criminals?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available data, the majority of people arrested by ICE are not violent criminals. The most concrete statistic available shows that roughly 37 percent of ICE arrests in July 2025 were of people with no U.S. criminal convictions or pending charges, which represents a dramatic increase from 13 percent during Biden's last full month in office in December ^[1]. This means that at least 37% of ICE arrests involve individuals with no criminal record whatsoever.

The ICE website categorizes detained individuals by criminal history, including those with convictions, pending charges, and no convictions or pending charges, but does not explicitly state the percentage of violent criminals among those arrested ^[2]. While ICE has highlighted arrests of violent criminals including pedophiles, sex offenders, and those convicted of aggravated assault with deadly weapons ^[3], and MS-13 gang members with extensive criminal records including attempted murder and assault ^[4], these appear to be selective examples rather than representative statistics.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about ICE's shifting enforcement priorities under different administrations. The Trump administration has implemented a "Priority Enforcement Program" that focuses on convicted criminals and others who pose a danger to public safety ^[5], while simultaneously pursuing mass deportations that are reshaping federal law enforcement to include nonviolent administrative offenses ^[6].

ICE leadership and the Department of Homeland Security benefit from emphasizing arrests of violent criminals in their public communications, as seen in their recruitment campaigns promising to arrest "the worst of the worst" from America's streets ^[7]. This messaging serves to justify expanded enforcement operations and budget increases.

Immigration advocacy groups would benefit from highlighting the high percentage of non-criminal arrests to argue against broad enforcement sweeps, while law enforcement agencies and political supporters of strict immigration enforcement benefit from publicizing high-profile arrests of violent offenders to build public support for their operations.

The question also misses the important distinction between different types of criminal activity - the data shows ICE operations now include many nonviolent administrative immigration violations rather than focusing exclusively on violent crime ^[6].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that a significant portion of ICE arrests involve violent criminals, when the available data suggests the opposite is true. By asking "how many are violent criminals" without acknowledging that the majority appear to be non-violent or have no criminal record, the question frames the issue in a way that could mislead readers about ICE's actual arrest patterns.

The question also fails to acknowledge the nearly 200 percent surge in arrests of migrants without criminal records ^[1], which represents a fundamental shift in enforcement priorities that directly contradicts the implication that ICE primarily targets violent criminals.