❓WHAT HAPPENED: The number of immigration detainees without criminal records held in federal detention centers has surged by over 2,000 percent since January, according to official U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and detainees categorized as “immigration violators.”
📍WHEN & WHERE: Data reflects ICE detention as of November 16, 2025, across the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The administration is targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens—including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, and terrorists.” – Tricia McLaughlin, DHS spokeswoman.
🎯IMPACT: The data shows that the administration is determined to deport all illegals, not just after they have been convicted of crimes, but before they can perpetrate them.
The number of immigration detainees without criminal records has increased dramatically since the start of the second Trump administration, with federal data showing a rise of more than 2,000 percent between late January and mid-November. According to figures released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a congressional transparency requirement, the agency reported detaining 65,135 people on November 16, the highest total it has ever publicly disclosed. Of those, 30,986 detainees, about 48 percent, were categorized as immigration violators with no U.S. criminal charges or convictions. Another 26 percent had criminal convictions, and 26 percent faced pending charges.
Notably, even in the absence of a conviction, crossing the U.S. border without permission is a crime, and while visa overstaying is only a civil violation, it is usually accompanied by criminal behavior, particularly if the overstayer is working illegally.
ICE data indicates that the number of non-convict detainees jumped from 945 on January 26 to 21,194 by November 16, marking a 2,143 percent surge. Detainees with criminal convictions have also increased by 73 percent during the period, and detainees with pending charges rose by 226 percent.
Officials overseeing immigration enforcement under President Donald J. Trump, including Border Czar Tom Homan and Acting ICE Director Matthew T. Albence, have repeatedly emphasized that anyone found living in the U.S. without legal status can be arrested, even if they were not the intended target of an operation.
“It’s not OK to violate the laws of this country,” Homan said earlier this year, stressing: “We have millions of people standing in line, taking the test, doing their background investigation, paying the fees that want to come in the right way. So if you’re in the country illegally, you got a problem.”
These arrests represent a shift from policies under the former Biden regime, which limited arrests of illegals and facilitated an unprecedented surge in border crossings.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said the administration’s main focus remains “the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens—including murderers, rapists, gang members, pedophiles, and terrorists.” She also emphasized that some detainees listed as non-criminals may have criminal histories from other countries or pose national security concerns.
ICE has also pointed to recent arrests of immigrants with violent and sexual offense histories as evidence that its enforcement efforts protect public safety. The agency has publicized operations capturing individuals convicted of crimes such as child sexual assault, homicide, and burglary, including cases involving repeatedly arrested offenders. Notably, also targeting illegals who have not yet been convicted of crimes proactively prevents them from victimizing anyone.
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