DrWebKristi Noem said most immigrants in ICE detention are violent criminals. The data says otherwise. – Poynter
Kristi Noem said most immigrants in ICE detention are violent criminals. The data says otherwise.
ICE’s own data shows about half of detainees have criminal records. Independent analysis suggests roughly 5% were convicted of violent crimes.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)January 26, 2026
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the majority of immigrants in federal immigration detention have a criminal history.
She made the statement during a lengthy and somewhat confusing back-and-forth with CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan Jan. 18 on “Face the Nation“:
Brennan: What’s the breakdown of the percentage of those you have in custody who have actually committed a criminal offense versus just the civil infraction?
Noem: Every single individual has committed a crime, but 70% of them have committed or have charges against them on violent crimes, and crimes that they are charged with or have been convicted of, that have come from other countries that are here illegally, first of all. And then they have committed a criminal act while they’ve been here or in their home countries as well.
Brennan: It’s not 70%.
Noem: Yes, it is. It absolutely is, Margaret. You guys keep changing your percentage, you pick and choose what numbers you think work, but that is the facts, is that 70% of the people that we have detained have charges against them or have been convicted of charges.
Brennan: OK, well, our reporting is that 47% — based on your agency’s own numbers — 47% have criminal convictions against them.
Noem’s comments could be taken a number of ways. At first, Noem’s wording made it sound like she was referencing people with violent criminal convictions or charges. But she also talked about pending charges. And Brennan asked Noem about people currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, but Noem’s wording made it sound like she was describing detention more broadly under Trump’s entire first year in office.
Analysis of government data shows most people the government has detained have not committed violent crimes. And people who are facing criminal charges aren’t necessarily accused of a violent crime, and they could be acquitted.
While campaigning in 2024, President Donald Trump promised to prioritize deporting violent criminals, and he has since tried to assure Americans that’s what his administration is doing.
“We’re looking to get the criminals out right now, the criminals,” Trump said at a Jan. 20 press conference marking the one-year anniversary of his second term in office. “We’re focused on the murderers, the drug dealers.”
Entering the U.S. illegally is generally a misdemeanor and being in the U.S. illegally is generally a civil offense.
Continue/Read Original Article Here: Kristi Noem said most immigrants in ICE detention are violent criminals. The data says otherwise. – Poynter
#MostImmigrants #DataSaysOtherwise #DHS #FivePerCent #ICE #ICEDetention #ImmigrationAndCustomsEnforcementICE #KristiNoem #MoreLies #NotTrue #Poynter #USDepartmentOfHomelandSecurity #ViolentCriminals
Steve Dustcircle 🌹
BlowUpRadio.com
Angela Glansbury 🚽
ideogram
Ecomate
jackhutton 🇺🇸
rogerggbr
Dave Fischer
fuzzface