Sadly, The Department of Homeland Security is not a credible information source any longer. They been lying nonstop about the deportation process and how many criminals they rounded up.
AI Overview
Yes, independent data analyses, including from government sources, indicate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has
exaggerated its claims about primarily rounding up dangerous criminals. While the DHS consistently states a high percentage of arrestees have criminal charges or convictions, a significant portion of those individuals have no criminal records or only non-violent, minor offenses.
Key Findings and Discrepancies
- DHS Claims vs. Data: The DHS has repeatedly stated in late 2025 and early 2026 that approximately 70% of individuals arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had a U.S. criminal charge or conviction. However, internal data and independent analyses present a different picture.
- Lack of Violent Convictions: Data obtained by the Cato Institute in late 2025 showed that over 70% of people detained by ICE had no criminal convictions at all (excluding immigration violations), and only about 7% had convictions for serious or violent crimes.
- Definition of "Criminal": Critics point out that the DHS often uses a broad definition of "criminal" that includes pending charges or minor offenses like traffic or immigration violations, which can inflate the numbers and misrepresent the actual threat level of the arrestees.
- Messaging vs. Reality: Investigations by news outlets like NBC Chicago found that the agency's data indicates a focus on "the worst of the worst" is often not matched in practice, with a large percentage of arrestees being non-criminals.
- Internal Practices: Past analyses (from around 2018) of internal memos showed that ICE was ordered to prioritize individuals with criminal records to meet quotas, suggesting a focus on statistics over the actual danger posed to public safety.
In summary, while the DHS does arrest individuals with serious criminal histories, a substantial amount of evidence suggests their public messaging exaggerates the proportion of arrestees who are dangerous criminals.