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HOW MANY CRIMINALS HAVE BEEN DEPORTED AND HOW MANY NON CRIMINALS HAVE BEEN DEPORTED
Executive Summary
The available government reports and independent analyses show that recent U.S. immigration enforcement removed large numbers of noncitizens while a substantial but varying share of removals involved people with criminal histories; ICE reported roughly 142,580 removals in FY2023 with about half having criminal histories, while DHS and press releases since 2024–2025 highlight over 527,000 removals under recent enforcement efforts though they do not provide a clean criminal/non‑criminal split [1] [2] [3]. Independent breakdowns of detainees and bookings indicate that a majority of people booked into detention in some periods had no criminal convictions, but counting methods and definitions differ across agencies and timeframes, producing contrasting claims about whether most removals target criminals or non-criminal immigration violators [4] [5] [6].
1. Claims On the Table — What People Are Asserting and Why It Matters
Advocates and officials present two competing claims: one asserts that removals are focused on criminal noncitizens, citing ICE figures that roughly half or more of removals involved people with criminal histories in FY2023; the other emphasizes that a large portion of people arrested, booked, or detained in 2024–2025 had no criminal convictions, implying mass deportation of non-criminals [1] [2] [4] [5]. Both claims matter because they frame policy debates about public safety, prosecutorial discretion, and humanitarian treatment. The discrepancy stems from differences in the datasets used — removals versus current detainee composition versus book‑ins during surge periods — and from varying definitions of “criminal” (convictions vs. arrests vs. pending charges), which materially change headline percentages and political narratives [6] [7].
2. The Government Numbers — What ICE and DHS Reported Recently
ICE’s FY2023 annual report provides a concrete baseline: 142,580 removals with roughly 69,902–73,822 individuals having criminal histories depending on the metric cited, and many removals included people with multiple convictions, gang affiliations, or national security flags [1] [2]. DHS press materials and more recent enforcement summaries report larger cumulative removals through 2024–2025 — including a DHS statement of over 527,000 removals in a recent period — but those releases often do not parse removals into criminal versus non‑criminal categories, nor do they reconcile removals with voluntary departures or Title 42 expulsions that are handled differently [3] [2]. Official counts vary by program (ERO removals, CBP expulsions, voluntary returns) and by time window, so a single definitive criminal/non‑criminal split for all removals across agencies is not published.
3. Detention and Book‑In Data — A Different Slice of the Picture
Detention and booking metrics show another reality: at moments in 2024–2025, around 71.5% of people in ICE custody had no criminal convictions, and analyses of nonpublic bookings reported about 65% of people taken by ICE lacked convictions in certain recent periods [4] [5]. These figures reflect who is being arrested and detained at specific times, not necessarily who is ultimately removed; many detainees are released to alternatives to detention, issued voluntary returns, or remain pending removal proceedings. The emphasis on book‑ins and current detainees has been used by critics to argue that enforcement priorities shifted toward non‑criminal immigration violations, a claim that depends on snapshot timing and enforcement directives influencing arrest practices [5] [7].
4. Methodology Differences Drive Contradictions — Why Percentages Diverge
Contradictory headlines arise because agencies measure different populations: removals (actual deportations) vs. detentions/book‑ins (arrests that may or may not lead to removal) vs. CBP border arrests vs. ICE interior arrests. ICE’s removal statistics focus on completed removals and classify criminal histories by convictions and charges, while CBP and DHS may report expulsions or voluntary returns that lack the same adjudicative context [6] [3]. Policy changes, administrative directives, and operational tactics also shift the composition of those detained or booked in short windows, producing spikes of non‑convicted detainees during policy drives and different criminality ratios when measured over longer fiscal periods [5] [6]. Comparing apples to oranges explains much of the dispute.
5. Bottom Line and Data Gaps — What We Can and Cannot Say with Confidence
What is clear: government reports show both large absolute numbers of removals and a substantial share of removals involving people with criminal histories in FY2023, while detention and booking data from 2024–2025 show extensive arrests of people without convictions, creating divergent narratives [1] [4] [5]. What is not available in a single, reconciled public dataset is a consistent, up‑to‑date national tally that cleanly separates all removals into “criminal” and “non‑criminal” using uniform definitions across DHS components and across all removal authorities. To resolve this conclusively would require DHS/ICE/CAB coordination to publish harmonized removals data by conviction status, charging status, and removal mechanism — something currently lacking in the public record [3] [7].