Fact check: What percentage of Trump deportees had prior felony convictions?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available data, the majority of people detained and deported under Trump's administration do not have prior felony convictions. The most comprehensive data shows that 71.7% of people detained in ICE facilities had no criminal convictions as of June 2025 ^{[1] [2]}.

Of the estimated 100,000 people deported between January 1 and June 24, 70,583 were convicted criminals ^[3]. However, most of the documented infractions were traffic or immigration offenses, and only a small percentage had violent convictions such as homicide or sex offenses ^[3]. Specifically, less than 1% of deportees had murder convictions ^[3].

Additional data from the Cato Institute reveals that 65% of the more than 204,000 people processed into the ICE system since the start of fiscal year 2025 had no criminal convictions ^[2]. Regional data from Colorado and Wyoming confirms this pattern, showing that most people arrested by ICE during the first five months of the Trump administration had no criminal conviction ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question focuses specifically on "felony convictions," but the available data primarily discusses broader categories of criminal convictions without clearly distinguishing between felonies and misdemeanors. 24.7% of detainees had pending criminal charges ^[1], which suggests ongoing legal proceedings that could result in convictions.

ICE has identified 435,000 unauthorized immigrants with criminal convictions in the United States ^[5], indicating a substantial population of individuals with criminal histories who could potentially be targeted for deportation. The agency arrested 752 non-citizens convicted of murder and 1,693 convicted of sexual assault as of the end of May 2025 ^[5], demonstrating that serious criminals are being apprehended.

CNN's review of government data found that most immigrants taken into ICE custody between last October and May had no serious criminal convictions ^[6], which aligns with the broader pattern but uses the qualifier "serious" rather than specifically addressing felonies.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question assumes that a significant percentage of Trump deportees have prior felony convictions, but the data reveals the opposite pattern. This framing could perpetuate misconceptions about the criminal backgrounds of deportees.

The Trump administration's stated goal of targeting the "worst of the worst" appears contradicted by the actual deportation data ^[4], which shows that most arrestees lack criminal histories. This discrepancy between rhetoric and reality could benefit political narratives that either support or oppose current immigration enforcement policies.

The focus on felony convictions specifically may obscure the broader context that most documented infractions among deportees are traffic or immigration offenses rather than violent crimes ^[3], potentially misleading public understanding of who is actually being deported.