(NewsNation) — Federal immigration authorities announced the arrest of five individuals with criminal convictions Wednesday, even as new data shows the majority of people in immigration detention have no criminal records.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it arrested individuals convicted of rape, sexual abuse of children and drug trafficking offenses in several states. The arrests included:
Darwin Gonzalez-Mendoza, convicted of rape in Carmel, New York
Cuauhtemoc Cardenas-Rodriguez, convicted of rape in Queens, New York
Juan Jose Moreno-Renteria, convicted of indecency with a child in Webb County, Texas
Edilberto Rincon, convicted of sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois
Varinder Singh, convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Boston
‘70% arrested by ICE are public safety threats’: Tom Homan
However, new data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University suggests a shift in ICE’s enforcement priorities.
For the first time, the actual number of individuals with criminal convictions currently detained by ICE has dropped even as total immigration detainees increased, according to TRAC data released Sept. 26.
71 % of ICE detainees have no criminal conviction, analysis finds
During a two-week period ending Sept. 25, the number of individuals detained grew by 996. But the number of detainees with any criminal conviction dropped by 170, while the number without any criminal charge or conviction grew by 1,016.
As of Sept. 21, ICE held 59,762 people in detention. Of those, 42,755 or 71.5% had no criminal conviction, according to TRAC data. The organization noted that many of those with convictions had committed only minor offenses, including traffic violations.
During a NewsNation town hall Wednesday, Border Czar Tom Homan said nearly 70% of those arrested by ICE are public safety or national security threats, while the remaining 30% are collateral arrests. “Our job is the removal of these gang members,” Homan said.
Michigan National Guard company deploying to Southwest border
The data shows ICE is increasingly detaining individuals without criminal records, despite the Trump administration’s claims that enforcement focuses on the “worst of the worst” offenders.
During the two-week period in September, ICE averaged 1,276 daily arrests, roughly matching levels from June but higher than July and August figures. Daily removals averaged 1,271.
ICE detained the most people in Texas facilities during fiscal year 2025. The Adams County Detention Center in Natchez, Mississippi, held the largest number of ICE detainees, averaging 2,171 per day as of September.
The agency’s Alternatives to Detention programs currently monitor 181,210 families and individuals, with San Francisco’s area office having the highest number enrolled in monitoring programs.
