Facts are technically correct but framed in a way that likely leads to a wrong impression. Learn more in Methodology.
ICE data or official statistics corroborate that 70% of ICE arrests are of people charged with or convicted of crimes in the U.S.
DHS/ICE have repeatedly stated (including in the cited 16 Jan 2026 DHS release) that “70% of ICE arrests are of criminals charged with or convicted of a crime in the U.S.” That claim is true as a quoted agency statement but misleading as a characterization of ICE enforcement overall. Independent datasets and analyses (TRAC, Syracuse/Deportation Data Project, Dallas Morning News, Snopes, Cato Institute) show that a large share of people held in ICE detention or arrested in many field offices during 2025 had no criminal conviction (often ~60–74% depending on the dataset and date), and ICE’s own public dashboards separate convictions, pending charges, and “no convictions/pending charges.” ICE’s 70% figure appears to reflect a selective framing or a differing time/place definition (e.g., counting arrests with pending charges together with convictions, or a specific dataset/time period), so presenting it without that context is misleading. Verdict: Misleading — the agency did make the 70% claim, but independent data and broader ICE reporting do not clearly support a blanket, contemporaneous 70% rate for ICE arrests nationwide.