DHS/ICE states 70% of ICE arrests are of noncitizens charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S.

Misleading

Facts are technically correct but framed in a way that likely leads to a wrong impression. Learn more in Methodology.

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ICE arrest data show that 70% of ICE arrests were of noncitizens charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States.

Source summary
The Department of Homeland Security released a statement on January 20, 2026, highlighting enforcement actions taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since January 20, 2025. DHS credited President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem with increased removals, saying more than 670,000 people were removed and roughly two million self-deported, and listed individual cases in which ICE arrested or lodged detainers against people charged with terrorism, gang activity, homicide, sexual offenses, and other crimes. The release names dozens of specific suspects from multiple countries and emphasizes DHS’s intent to continue targeting what it calls the “worst of the worst.”
Latest fact check

DHS/ICE has publicly claimed a 70% share of ICE arrests are of people "convicted or charged" with U.S. crimes, but independent datasets and analyses for the 2025–2026 enforcement surge show conflicting numbers and generally do not support an unqualified 70% figure. TRAC and Syracuse University data show a large share of people in ICE custody had no criminal conviction (about 72–74% of detainees as of late 2025), while other FOIA-based analyses find a smaller share with convictions but differing treatment of ‘pending charges’ and what counts as a ‘criminal’ offense. Because results vary widely depending on the dataset, timeframe, and definitions (arrests vs. current detainees vs. removals; convictions vs. pending charges; inclusion of minor traffic offenses or foreign convictions), the DHS/ICE statement is misleading: it repeats a department claim but does not align with multiple independent data sources and is framed in a way that overstates a contested statistic.

2 months, 4 days
Next scheduled update: Apr 20, 2026
2 months, 4 days

Timeline

  1. Scheduled follow-up · Apr 20, 2026
  2. Completion due · Apr 20, 2026
  3. Update · Jan 21, 2026, 04:54 AMMisleading
    DHS/ICE has publicly claimed a 70% share of ICE arrests are of people "convicted or charged" with U.S. crimes, but independent datasets and analyses for the 2025–2026 enforcement surge show conflicting numbers and generally do not support an unqualified 70% figure. TRAC and Syracuse University data show a large share of people in ICE custody had no criminal conviction (about 72–74% of detainees as of late 2025), while other FOIA-based analyses find a smaller share with convictions but differing treatment of ‘pending charges’ and what counts as a ‘criminal’ offense. Because results vary widely depending on the dataset, timeframe, and definitions (arrests vs. current detainees vs. removals; convictions vs. pending charges; inclusion of minor traffic offenses or foreign convictions), the DHS/ICE statement is misleading: it repeats a department claim but does not align with multiple independent data sources and is framed in a way that overstates a contested statistic.
  4. Original article · Jan 20, 2026

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