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The newly released US statistics on criminal migrants have been a hot topic of discussion, particularly in relation to the Democratic border policy under President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Critics have pointed to the data on criminal convictions as evidence that the current administration is failing to secure the border.
Former President Trump recently made claims that “13,000 convicted murderers entered our country” during Kamala Harris’ tenure as Border Czar and were allowed to “openly roam our country.” However, these assertions have been debunked.
The latest numbers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reveal that while there were 13,000 non-citizens convicted of murder on its records, they were not all in ICE custody. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, clarified that the data spans several years and includes individuals who entered the US during the Trump administration and even earlier administrations.
Furthermore, the individuals on this list may not necessarily be walking free as Trump suggests. Some may be detained or imprisoned by other authorities, such as federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies. The data does not specify when these individuals entered the country, making it difficult to attribute their presence to any particular administration.
In a letter to Republican congressman Tony Gonzales, ICE disclosed that as of July 2024, there were 425,431 non-citizens with criminal convictions on its non-detained docket. This included 13,099 murderers, 15,811 individuals convicted of sexual assault, and 62,231 convicted of assault. However, DHS has acknowledged that this data was misinterpreted.
The 13,000 convicted killers referenced by Trump did not all enter the US during the Biden-Harris administration as claimed. The data goes back decades and includes individuals who have been in the country for over 40 years. Moreover, the vast majority of custody determinations for these individuals were made long before the current administration took office.
While there has been a growing number of non-citizens on the docket under President Biden’s administration, the number of convicted criminals on the list has remained relatively consistent. It is important to note that ICE did not provide a breakdown of how many of these individuals are illegal immigrants versus those with green cards.
Experts have highlighted the challenges in deporting criminal non-citizens, particularly when it comes to countries with whom the US has strained diplomatic relations. Certain countries, such as Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, are not frequent destinations for deportation flights due to these challenges.
Additionally, US federal law limits the detention of individuals awaiting deportation to six months unless the government can prove they pose a threat to society. The UN Convention Against Torture also allows courts to suspend deportation for individuals, including those convicted of serious crimes, if they are at risk of torture or persecution in their home countries.
Despite these obstacles, DHS reports that over 180,000 criminal non-citizens have been deported since January 2021. The issue of criminal migrants and border security remains a complex and multifaceted challenge that requires a nuanced and comprehensive approach.
