A significant shift has been observed in the pattern of arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the current administration.
Fiscal Year 2023 witnessed a substantial decline in the arrest of convicted criminals by ICE, marking a stark contrast from the numbers in Fiscal Year 2019.
In the second full fiscal year of President Joe Biden’s term, ICE apprehended nearly 171,000 illegal immigrants. Intriguingly, less than a third of these detainees had previous criminal convictions.
This figure is notably different from the data recorded in Fiscal Year 2019. During President Donald Trump’s second full fiscal year, over 64% of the 143,000 arrested illegal aliens had criminal records.
The contrast between these two fiscal years is telling. It indicates a 41% reduction in the arrest of illegal aliens with a criminal past during the current administration’s tenure.
The reduction in the percentage of convicted criminals among the arrested illegal aliens is significant. In FY2023, only 32% of those arrested had a criminal conviction, compared to 64% in FY2019.
This trend is further reflected in the specific numbers of at-large arrests. There's been more than a 50% decrease in the apprehension of convicted criminals from 20,000 in FY2019 to 9,700 in FY2023.
The at-large arrests in FY2023 are not insignificant, however. They included individuals with convictions for over 1,300 homicides, 926 kidnappings, more than 3,000 sexual assaults, and nearly 27,000 DUIs.
Another aspect to consider is the arrest of illegal aliens with pending charges. In FY2023, this number was around 20,000, showing a 35% decline from the 31,000 in FY2019. Considering these statistics, the overall trend points to a substantial reduction in the number of convicted criminals being arrested by ICE under the Biden administration.
The differences in these figures may be indicative of policy changes and shifting priorities within ICE. The drop in arrests of convicted criminals could reflect a broader change in the agency's focus or strategy.
It's important to understand the impact of these changes on public safety and immigration enforcement. The debate continues as to the implications of these numbers for the broader community.
Looking at the broader picture, the data suggests that Biden’s ICE is arresting about 41 percent fewer convicted criminal illegal aliens compared to when Trump was in office. Also, those convicted of crimes make up a far smaller percentage of the total number of illegal aliens agents are arrested within a year.
