DHS/ICE statement: 70% of ICE arrests are of noncitizens charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S.

Misleading

Facts are technically correct but framed in a way that likely leads to a wrong impression. Learn more in Methodology.

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ICE's arrest data or official statistics confirm that 70% of ICE arrests (over the stated reporting period) were of noncitizens charged or convicted of crimes in the U.S.

Source summary

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security published a press release saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested several noncitizens convicted of serious crimes — including third-degree sex offense, manslaughter, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, arson, and identity theft — in jurisdictions across the United States. The release names five individuals and their countries of origin and quotes Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin saying 70% of ICE arrests are of noncitizens charged or convicted of crimes. DHS directs the public to WOW.DHS.Gov for more information on arrests it describes as the “worst of the worst.”

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Latest fact check

DHS/ICE press messaging has repeatedly used a "70%" figure claiming most ICE arrests are of noncitizens with criminal convictions or pending charges. Public ICE data and independent analyses show the share varies by timeframe and metric: a Jan. 7, 2026 ICE snapshot reported ~52% of people in detention had convictions or pending charges, while cumulative FOIA-based Deportation Data Project analyses for Jan. 20–Oct. 15, 2025 show roughly 64–66% with convictions or charges (figures the administration has rounded up). Independent fact-checkers (PolitiFact, FactCheck.org) concluded the 70% claim overstates or lacks context and can mislead by mixing snapshots, cumulative counts, and pending charges with convictions. Verdict: Misleading — the 70% figure is presented without the time frame or clear accounting and does not accurately describe point-in-time ICE detention data; it may approximate some cumulative measures but overstates the current snapshot and conflates charges with convictions.

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Timeline

Update · Jan 31, 2026, 05:41 AMMisleading
DHS/ICE press messaging has repeatedly used a "70%" figure claiming most ICE arrests are of noncitizens with criminal convictions or pending charges. Public ICE data and independent analyses show the share varies by timeframe and metric: a Jan. 7, 2026 ICE snapshot reported ~52% of people in detention had convictions or pending charges, while cumulative FOIA-based Deportation Data Project analyses for Jan. 20–Oct. 15, 2025 show roughly 64–66% with convictions or charges (figures the administration has rounded up). Independent fact-checkers (PolitiFact, FactCheck.org) concluded the 70% claim overstates or lacks context and can mislead by mixing snapshots, cumulative counts, and pending charges with convictions. Verdict: Misleading — the 70% figure is presented without the time frame or clear accounting and does not accurately describe point-in-time ICE detention data; it may approximate some cumulative measures but overstates the current snapshot and conflates charges with convictions.
Original article · Jan 30, 2026
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