Fact check: How often does ICE mistakenly arrest legal immigrants and permanent residents?

1. Summary of the results

The exact frequency of ICE's mistaken arrests of legal immigrants and permanent residents cannot be precisely determined from the available data, as ICE's reporting methodology has significant gaps ^[1]. While ICE claims to conduct "targeted, intelligence-driven operations" focusing on individuals who pose security risks ^[2], there is documented evidence of wrongful detentions, including the case of U.S. citizen Julio Noriega who was detained despite presenting valid identification ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements need to be considered:

• ICE's reporting methodology understates detention numbers and excludes tens of thousands of individuals from calculations ^[1]
• There are serious systemic issues in ICE detention facilities, including:
• Document falsification allegations
• Staffing shortages
• Mismanagement of medical care ^[4]
• A Senate report revealed that 95% of documented deaths in ICE detention between 2017-2021 were likely preventable ^[5]
• In Q4 2024, ICE made 26,606 total arrests, though the data doesn't specify wrongful detention rates ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself presents several potential biases:

• It assumes ICE tracks and reports such mistakes, when in reality, their reporting methodology has been criticized for excluding significant numbers of cases ^[1]
• It overlooks the broader systemic issues within ICE detention facilities that may contribute to wrongful detentions ^[4]

Who benefits from different narratives:

• ICE benefits from emphasizing their "targeted, intelligence-driven operations" narrative ^[2]
• Human rights organizations and advocacy groups benefit from highlighting cases like Julio Noriega's to demonstrate systemic issues ^[3]
• Private detention facility operators benefit from downplaying issues, despite documented problems with medical care and facility management ^{[4] [5]}