Federal court records have exposed a stark discrepancy between the Trump administration's public portrayal of its immigration enforcement actions and the reality of who is being detained. Data from a major operation in Chicago shows that the overwhelming majority of those arrested had no criminal convictions.
The Data Versus the Narrative
According to federal data submitted to a US court by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), more than 97% of the 614 immigrants arrested in "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago had no criminal conviction. The operation began in September.
This information, first reported by the Chicago Tribune and released on a Friday, directly challenges the administration's characterisation of such sweeps as a crime-fighting mission. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly described the targets as the "worst of the worst" criminals.
A Closer Look at the Arrests
The court documents reveal that out of the hundreds detained, only 16 individuals had significant criminal histories. Among these, ten had been convicted of or were facing charges for assault, battery, or domestic violence. One had a conviction for enticement of a minor and kidnapping, and another was labelled a "foreign criminal". Two others had drunk-driving convictions.
Critically, the rest of those arrested in the Chicago deportation drive had neither criminal convictions nor any pending charges against them. Federal authorities did classify three dozen detainees as a "high" risk to public safety, though the vast majority were deemed low risk. Almost all were considered flight risks.
A Recurring Pattern and Legal Challenge
This gap between rhetoric and reality is not isolated to Chicago. The data was submitted in the case of Castañon Nava v Department of Homeland Security, where plaintiffs allege the DHS violated a 2022 consent decree that restricts federal immigration agents from making warrantless arrests.
A similar pattern emerged earlier this year during high-profile immigration sweeps in southern California. There, records showed that more than two-thirds of the 722 migrants arrested had no criminal convictions.
Since Trump returned to office, there has been a significant shift in the profile of ICE detainees. Those with no criminal record or pending charges now constitute the single largest group in ICE custody, at approximately 36%. This marks a dramatic change from the end of the Biden administration, when this group accounted for just 6% of detainees.
In response to the Chicago data, DHS assistant secretary Tricia Mclaughlin called the figures "horrendously misleading," stating that 70% of migrants arrested by ICE nationally have criminal convictions or pending charges. However, the Guardian's own data tracker places this national figure at 64%.
