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More immigrants arrested by ICE but fewer have criminal records, national study finds

May 4, 2026·Location: PA, NJ

More immigrants arrested by ICE but fewer have criminal records, national study finds
Photo via Philadelphia Inquirer

A study of 1.6 million ICE arrests from 2015 to March 2026 confirms that while arrests surged in the Trump administration's second term, the share of those arrested with criminal convictions fell sharply, with the steepest declines in 2025. Researchers found this shift is only partly explained by changes in ICE's enforcement tactics, with the drop in criminal conviction rates persisting even after accounting for method. The analysis also found wide geographic variation in how ICE conducts arrests across its 25 areas of responsibility, even as the decline in criminal conviction rates was nearly universal nationwide. Earlier data had shown that in January 2026, nearly 60% of immigrants arrested in Pennsylvania and 68% in New Jersey had no criminal convictions or pending charges, contradicting the administration's stated focus on deporting 'the worst of the worst.'

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