ICE Fails to Arrest Majority of Known Immigrant Murderers Despite Pledge to Target ‘Worst Offenders’

After six months of stringent immigration enforcement aimed at deporting violent criminals, internal data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveals that the Trump administration has only managed to arrest a small number of undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes, such as homicide and sexual assault. NBC News obtained data that tallies every individual booked by ICE from October 1 to May 31, a period that includes some time under the Biden administration. Of the 185,042 people arrested during this period, only 65,041 had prior criminal convictions, with most offenses being related to immigration or traffic violations.

Alarmingly, nearly half of those in ICE custody have neither been convicted nor charged with any crime. Last fall, ICE informed Congress that there were over 13,000 individuals convicted of homicide and nearly 16,000 convicted of sexual assault on its non-detained docket—meaning they were known to ICE but not in custody. This allows space for speculation about their whereabouts, as some may have left the country or be incarcerated elsewhere.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump utilized these statistics to criticize then-Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting that dangerous criminals remained free. According to the data, ICE arrested only 752 individuals for homicide and 1,693 for sexual assault from October to May, showing that just a fraction of the known criminals had been detained. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin disputed the accuracy of this data but failed to provide specific numbers.

Meanwhile, Representative Tony Gonzales from Texas emphasized the importance of focusing on serious criminals rather than all undocumented individuals, pushing ICE to clarify its priorities. He argued that apprehending dangerous offenders should take precedence over sweeping arrests that do not increase community safety. A senior DHS official acknowledged the challenges in targeting serious criminals compared to noncriminal immigrants and noted a shift in focus toward deporting anyone lacking legal status.

This has raised concerns among some Republicans who seek a more targeted approach in immigration enforcement, urging ICE to concentrate on apprehending violent offenders rather than individuals without legal documentation.