CHICAGO — Immigration authorities made close to 1,200 arrests in just one day, and nearly half of those detained don't have criminal records, according to a senior Trump administration official.
Data first obtained by NBC News shows that Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a total of 1,179 people on Sunday, which is more than the 956 arrests that the agency posted on X on Sunday night. But just 613 of those total arrests — nearly 52% — were considered “criminal arrests.” The rest appear to be nonviolent offenders or people who have not committed any criminal offense other than crossing the border illegally.
When breaking down those arrests, eight were considered "Worst Criminals Arrested," including two gang members, according to the official.
Still, at least 566 people arrested Sunday had not committed any crimes and were only detained because they lacked legal authorization to remain in the United States.
Being undocumented is considered a civil offense, not a crime. But it’s considered a crime when an undocumented immigrant who was previously deported re-enters the United States without permission. It’s unclear how many, if any, of the 566 had entered the country a second time illegally.
Administration officials and President Donald Trump have stated repeatedly that they would prioritize the detention and deportations of undocumented immigrants who have committed serious crimes, but the latest numbers may be casting doubts around such promises.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, told NBC News on Sunday he was aware of "at least a few" collateral arrests — detentions of people without criminal convictions who were present during the raids. He said that these will likely recur as immigration enforcement actions escalate across the nation.
"We want to get as many criminals as possible," Homan said. "They’re a public safety threat, and so with somebody else illegally here, they’re coming, too."
According to the latest ICE arrests data, there were 853 "detainers lodged," people who were arrested on other criminal charges Sunday, but ICE may have probable cause to believe they could be up for deportation.
A detainer request means that ICE asks a local jurisdiction to hold a suspected undocumented immigrant who has already been arrested in another crime. ICE may have probable cause to believe the migrant could be up for deportation. So-called sanctuary cities don't take action on detainer requests.
Gabe Gutierrez reported from Chicago and Nicole Acevedo from New York.
