According to data provided by ICE to Congress, more than 13,000 immigrants convicted of homicide are currently living freely in the U.S. on the agency’s “non-detained” docket. These individuals have pending immigration cases but are not currently in detention, either because they are not prioritized for detention or because ICE cannot locate them. Many of these immigrants, including serious criminals, entered the U.S. under previous administrations, not just the current one.
Former President Donald Trump criticized current immigration policies after the data was released, pointing out that dangerous criminals are free to roam the country. The White House has not yet commented on the data, which came as a surprise to officials there. ICE prioritizes the arrest of migrants convicted of serious crimes, but limited resources make it difficult to locate and detain them.
Some immigrants convicted of crimes may be released by state and local officials without notifying ICE, making it challenging for the agency to track them down. NBC News accompanied ICE agents during the arrest of individuals convicted of murder in Colombia and attempted murder in El Salvador, highlighting the manpower required for such operations. Local jurisdictions are starting to reconsider their sanctuary policies in response to increased attention on migrant crime.
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