Illegal immigrant arrest rates are at an all time high: here's why

Since the Trump Administration has taken office, ICE detention rates have grown extensively. With new policies and initiatives in place, it was only a matter of time before immigration enforcement shifted. Although, politics aren’t the only explanation.

ICE claims to target “dangerous, often recidivist, criminals engaged in crimes such as murder, predatory sexual offenses, narcotics trafficking, alien smuggling, and a host of other crimes that have a profoundly negative impact on our society.” Although, a 2019 TRAC study found that this may not be the case.

The data suggests that the growth in ICE detention rates could be attributed to the mass arrest of illegal immigrants with no criminal conviction or history. A whopping 64% of detainees, as of April of last year, had no record.

Before continuing, it might be a good idea to give you some more background on what a lot of our country’s immigration efforts are based on. According to PolicyEd, a common assumption is that more immigrants lead to more crime. However, this isn’t necessarily right.

Research shows that native-born citizens are actually more likely to commit crimes. With that, a large chunk of them are incarcerated, while illegal immigrants are imprisoned at about half the rate.

If this is true, then what makes society think otherwise? Stereotypes and misinformation take a lot of the blame. To put it simply, legal and illegal immigrants are less likely to break the law because even a harmless traffic stop could lead to deportation.

As of 2019, the most common situations that have led to immigrant arrests are DUIs, illegal entry, and traffic offenses. These are classified as “level 3 offenses,” which are typically non-violent crimes that do not align with ICE’s target statement.

Now you might be thinking, “but being in this country illegally is a crime…” Sure, but as TRAC points out, criminal history matters. Incarceration and detention are different: one is temporary, civil holding, and the other is a long-term sentencing.

As detention rates have increased, the number of detention centers have as well. Since 2017, 40 new facilities have been opened. This number is projected to continue rising under the Trump Administration, who has requested that taxpayers fund ICE at $4.1 billion in 2021.

Some wish to abolish ICE, rather than watch it grow, which thousands voiced in Minnesota in 2018.

Growing numbers in arrests and detention centers would seem to correlate, but TRAC has found that the distribution of detainees is “institutionally uneven.” Out of the over 200 detention facilities, only about one-third hold the majority of immigrants with no criminal conviction.

So, what does this mean for the future? When ICE started up in 2003, its detention centers were holding around 20,000 people per day. In the next year, the Trump Administration hopes to expand that number to 60,000.

Protestors yearn to be heard at the march against Trump's immigration ban in 2017.

It will be interesting to see how these numbers will continue to play out of Trump is not given a second term. Regardless of the outcome, ICE is growing stronger by the day and it could be impossible to predict just how powerful they’ll get.