Data reveals increase in immigration arrests of individuals with no criminal backgrounds

Recent federal immigration operations in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., intended to focus on unauthorized immigrants with criminal histories, have largely resulted in the detention of people with only civil immigration violations, according to new figures.

Data released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and published by the Deportation Data Project highlights a sharp rise in detentions of individuals without criminal records in these cities over the past months.

In Chicago, from early September when the federal operation began to mid-October, the average daily intake of people without criminal histories at local detention facilities, including Broadview, jumped from roughly three per day to more than 45 an increase of over 1,400%. By mid-October, fewer than 25 people with criminal charges or convictions were detained daily on average.

Washington, D.C., saw a peak of 37 daily detentions of non-criminals in late August. During that same period, fewer than 10 people with criminal records were booked each day, consistent with pre-operation numbers.

In Los Angeles, overall immigration arrests have decreased since the summer raids. In June and July, about 63% of those initially detained in the area had no criminal records. Early data from Memphis, Tennessee, shows a similar trend, with over half of detainees in the first two weeks of October having only civil immigration violations.

Portland, Oregon, has experienced a more balanced distribution of detainees, including individuals with criminal convictions, pending charges, and solely civil immigration violations since federal troop deployment in June.

Border Patrol agents have assisted ICE in these operations, particularly in Chicago and Los Angeles. Those arrested are held in ICE detention centers, contributing to the reported data. Despite public statements from the Department of Homeland Security claiming a focus on individuals with criminal records, officials including former acting ICE Director Todd Lyons have emphasized that anyone in the U.S. illegally may be detained.

The data shows that while 66% of detainees from January 20 to October 15 had criminal charges or convictions, this proportion has steadily declined since April, with non-criminal detainees representing the fastest-growing group in ICE custody. About 7% of detainees were convicted of violent crimes such as murder, rape, assault, and robbery.

DHS has defended the operations, stating that all detainees violated U.S. immigration laws. Being present illegally in the U.S., through border crossing or visa overstay, is typically considered a civil rather than a criminal offense.

Author: Connor Blake