Immigrants with no criminal convictions represent sharpest growth in ICE detention population
President Trump is enacting a mass deportation campaign promised to be the largest in U.S. history. New data is giving a clearer picture of exactly what that looks like: at least 56,000 immigrants are being held in ICE detention.
According to the Deportation Data Project, a group that collects immigration numbers, about half the people in detention don’t have criminal convictions. That’s close to 30,000 people in detention, without a criminal record — the group that has grown the most in recent months.
“You listen to Tom Homan and Stephen Miller, they’re saying things like they are going after the worst of the worst, the people who are murderers,” says UCLA Professor Graeme Blair, referring to President Trump’s ‘Border czar’ Tom Homan and key White House Aide Stephen Miller. “That’s just not what the data says about the people that they are actually arresting.”
In the first few months of the Trump administration, the number of detentions was around the same as during the Biden administration. But in recent weeks, there’s been a push to detain more people, spearheaded by the recent goal of 3,000 ICE arrests per day.
According to Professor Blair, one of the directors of the Deportation Data Project, the ICE raids in Los Angeles marked a turning point: people without criminal records were increasingly being arrested. In fact, NPR’s review of ICE data found that the number of people without criminal convictions in detention nearly doubled since May — more than any other group of detainees.
NPR reached out to the Trump administration for comment and received no response. At a press conference last week, both the president and Attorney General Pam Bondi said the focus is on violent criminals. But there has also been consistent messaging from government officials warning that there will be collateral immigration arrests, and that being in the U.S. without legal status is reason enough for detention and deportation.
For many, this policy has meant an upending of decades of life, community and business in the U.S. Such is the case of Pastor Maurilio Ambrocio from Guatemala. Ambrocio had lived in the U.S. without legal status for 30 years. In addition to his religious work, he had a landscaping company. He had no criminal record.
Ambrocio had what is called a stay of removal, which required him to check in with immigration officials at least once a year, let them know he was employed and hadn’t committed any crimes. He’d been doing that for 13 years.
A few months ago, at a regular check-in he was arrested and placed in detention. Last night he was deported back to Guatemala.
NPR has been following Ambrocio’s case closely, and speaking to members of his community. Several of his neighbors said they were heartbroken to find out the news of Ambrocio’s detention. Some of them were Trump voters who expressed concern for the nature of this immigration crackdown.
“I’m not necessarily comfortable with where we’re at right now”, said Greg Johns, who lives across the street from the Ambrocio family. He voted for Trump, but is feeling disappointed. “You’re going to take a community leader, a pastor, a hard working man … what, did you need a number that day?”
Johns is not alone. There are indications that American views on immigration control are shifting. While last year, a Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans wanted less immigration, a recent poll by NPR with PBS News and Marist shows that 52% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s current approach to immigration enforcement.
Transcript:
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
President Trump is pushing through a mass deportation campaign. He has promised it will be the largest in U.S. history. Well, new data gives us a clearer picture of exactly who is being arrested. Joining us now to break down some of these numbers is NPR immigration correspondent Jasmine Garsd. Hi, Jas.
JASMINE GARSD, BYLINE: Hi.
CHANG: OK, so right now, how many immigrants are in detention? Do we even know?
GARSD: Yeah, at least 56,000 people are being held in ICE detention. And according to the Deportation Data Project, which is a group of academics who collect immigration numbers, about half the people in detention don’t have criminal convictions. That’s close to 30,000 people in detention without a criminal record.
CHANG: Wow.
GARSD: Now, I asked UCLA professor Graeme Blair, who is one of the directors of the project, what about the other half of the detainees – the ones with a criminal conviction? And he said the most common is traffic violations.
GRAEME BLAIR: You listen to Tom Homan and Stephen Miller, they’re saying things like they’re going after the worst of the worst – the people that are murderers. And that’s just not what the data say about the people that they’re actually arresting.
CHANG: OK. And just to be clear, Homan is the Trump administration’s border czar. Miller is a key Trump aide. So Jas, if the idea was to deport criminals, how did we end up with close to 30,000 people in detention who do not have any criminal record?
GARSD: So in the first few months of this administration, the number (ph) of detentions was around the same as during the Biden administration. But recently there’s been this push to detain more people. I mean, there’s now a goal of 3,000 arrests a day. According to Professor Blair, the ICE raids in Los Angeles really marked a turning point – more people without criminal records being arrested. Now, I checked the ICE numbers myself. The number of people without criminal convictions in detention nearly doubled in the last month. That’s where we’re seeing the biggest growth.
CHANG: Interesting. And what has the Trump administration said about this? Is the priority still on violent criminals?
GARSD: Yeah, I reached out to the Trump administration and received no response. At a press conference last week, the president and Attorney General Pam Bondi said the focus is on violent criminals. But we’ve also heard that there will be collateral arrests and that being in the U.S. without papers is reason enough for detention and deportation.
CHANG: OK. Well, we’ve been talking about numbers here, but Jas, I know that you’ve spent so much time reporting in immigrant communities. And I’m just wondering, like, what are you seeing? What are people telling you?
GARSD: So about a month ago, I reported on a man in Florida, Pastor Maurilio Ambrocio from Guatemala. He also has a landscaping company. He was in the U.S. without papers for about 30 years, no criminal record. And he had something called a stay of removal, which means you check in with immigration officials at least once a year. You let them know you’re employed, you haven’t committed any crimes. He’s been doing that for 13 years. Now, a few months ago, he was arrested and placed in detention. Last night, he was deported back to Guatemala. Now, here’s Greg Johns, a neighbor who lives across the street from the Ambrocio family and who voted for President Trump.
GREG JOHNS: I’m not necessarily comfortable with where we’re at right now. You’re going to take, you know, a community leader, a pastor, a hard-working man. What – did you need a number that day?
CHANG: Wow, a Trump supporter who’s now not feeling very comfortable. Has public opinion shifted as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, you think?
GARSD: Yeah. Last year, a Gallup poll found that 55% of Americans wanted less immigration. But a recent poll by NPR with PBS News and Marist shows that 52% of Americans now disapprove of how the president is handling immigration.
CHANG: That is NPR’s Jasmine Garsd. Thank you so much, Jas.
GARSD: Thanks for having me.
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