The reality of immigration enforcement under the Trump presidency has starkly contrasted with the emotive narratives painted by the Biden administration. The data from statistical analyses appear to indicate a decline in the proportion of criminals and convicts of substantial offenses involved in arrests, compared to the figures seen during the same timeframe under Biden.
In spite of the inflammatory rhetoric from the Trump administration, the Democrats’ allegations of protecting dangerous criminals and drug traffickers fell short upon inspection. Strikingly, the percentage of criminals caught overall, as well as convicts of violent and drug-related crimes, have seen a significant downturn compared to the Biden administration.
Critics have been quick to point out that while the total quantity of incarcerations for drug- and violence-related convictions rose under Trump, their proportion in terms of the overall surge in arrest numbers diminished. It is believed that people are being increasingly targeted for trivial traffic violations or strict immigration infractions instead.
A little over a third of the estimated 112,000 arrests executed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from late January to late June were confined to convicts. This is starkly contrasted to the Biden administration when more than half of the nearly 51,000 arrests during the same period targeted convicts.
The proportion of incarcerations of individuals found guilty of violent crimes dipped from 10% to 7%, whilst drug offenses fell from 9% to 5%, according to data from Stateline’s examination of the Deportation Data Project. A team of attorneys and professors from various states curate this project and its public data.
Interestingly, some states traditionally considered Democratic hotbeds had a higher percentage of violent criminals involved in ICE arrests during this period. It seems as though Hawaii, Vermont, California, and Nebraska had the highest proportion of such criminals, while primarily Republican states like Maine, Alabama, Montana, and Wyoming had the lower proportions.
Legal practitioners specializing in immigration issues are observing an unprecedented push to arrest and detain immigrants for any form of violation or charges pending. This trend tracks with Donald Trump’s declared intention to ramp up arrest numbers and execute his campaign promise of expansive deportation.
An alarming majority of ICE’s recent detentions include individuals who have not yet been convicted of any crimes. The run-rates for arrests have been observed to spike since mid-May, a trend that aligns with when government attorneys commenced motions to revoke bail and arrest individuals who appear for court proceedings after border release.
While it remains true that the number of people convicted for violent crimes increased by an alarming 45%, it’s also worth mentioning that the proportion of these convicts has decreased relative to the total number of those arrested. A similar trend is discernable in the case of drug offenses, although it is significantly less extreme.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has staunchly defended the actions of ICE. They assert that their arrests have included dangerous individuals ranging from child predators, drug smugglers, to burglars. However, the fact that it remains a small proportion of the total arrests undermines their argument.
In the case of Oregon, a startling increase in arrests was observed in the first part of the previous year when comparing the Trump administration to the Biden administration. People with no record of conviction saw an increase from 34 to 137, painting a different picture of the Trump administration’s enforcement approach.
Despite the noteworthy rise in those with convictions for violent crime, this only represents a small share of the arrests. The concern is growing, even among some Republicans, about the shift in focus to non-violent or non-criminals during enforcement.
Notably, offenses not associated with violence have seen an uptick in terms of immigration-related arrests on a national scale. The most frequent crime conviction for those arrested this year was driving under influence, ironically also a leading reason for arrest during Biden’s term.
However, this year has seen a sharp rise in general traffic offenses, pushing it to second place, overshadowing severe crimes such as assault and drug trafficking. Statistics show that traffic violations were the most prevalent reason behind convictions for those arrested during this period.
Traffic offenses, excluding driving while intoxicated or hit and run, saw a nearly fourfold increase as the worst conviction on record for those arrested. Infractions such as these and illegal entry into the country, like covert border crossing, have been the leading reasons for an increase in arrests.
The post Biden’s Falsehoods: Stop Defending Unsafe Immigration Policies appeared first on Real News Now.
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