How many people apprehended at US borders have a prior criminal conviction?
Sources: Transactional Records Access Clearing House, https://tracreports.org/ and other online sites
Data from late 2025 shows a mix, but generally, a significant portion of people apprehended by U.S. immigration (ICE) had no prior criminal convictions, with estimates ranging from around 30% to over 70% depending on the specific period and data source, while many with convictions often had minor offenses, contrasting with claims of mass deportations of serious criminals. For example, one November 2025 report indicated 73.6% of detainees had no convictions, while another found 30% of deportees had prior convictions.
Key Findings from Late 2025 Data:
ICE Detainees: Around November 2025, about 70-74% of people held in ICE detention had no criminal convictions, with many others having only minor offenses like traffic violations, notes The Cato Institute and tracreports.org.
Deportations: In November 2025, 70% of those deported by ICE had no criminal conviction, and 43% had neither a conviction nor pending charges, according to The Cato Institute.
“Non-Criminals” Growing: By late 2025, immigrants with no criminal records became the largest group in ICE detention, surpassing those with records or pending charges, according to NPR and tracreports.org.
Low Violent Crime Rate: A small percentage (around 5%) of ICE detainees had violent criminal convictions, reports The Cato Institute.
In Summary: While some individuals apprehended had prior convictions, a substantial majority of those in ICE custody and being deported in late 2025 did not have serious criminal histories, with many having no criminal record at all.
