Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told a House Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday that for the first time this summer, most people arrested by the Department of Homeland Security had no criminal record and posed no public safety threat.
“For the first time this summer, the majority of people that DHS arrested were people who pose absolutely no threat to public safety, and the number of people with criminal convictions who are arrested by ICE actually decreased — decreased, not increased,” Jayapal said during the hearing on immigration enforcement.
Jayapal argued that the administration’s enforcement approach has shifted resources away from investigating serious crime toward broader sweeps, which she said undermines public safety rather than improving it.
“That’s because when DHS expends all of its energy to go after parents, longtime friends, neighbors, when [Homeland Security Investigations] agents who are supposed to investigate serious crime and human trafficking are instead being moved to street sweeps and riding along with local police for random traffic stops, we are less safe, not more safe.”
Her comments track with a Sept. 1 press release from her office, which cited ICE data showing that the majority of people arrested had zero criminal charges or convictions, and that arrests of immigrants without criminal convictions or pending charges had risen 770%. Independent analyses of ICE data have similarly found that while total ICE arrests hit record highs over the summer, the proportion of arrests involving people without criminal convictions or pending charges also grew.
The remarks come as the Trump administration continues to publicize what it describes as record-breaking immigration enforcement. ICE arrested nearly 51,000 illegal immigrants nationwide in August, according to DHS — the highest monthly total on record.
“The hard-working men and women of DHS continue to break records as they defend the homeland and protect the American people,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement. “For the third straight month, ICE set a new record for the highest number of illegal aliens arrested in a single month, nearly 51,000. This is promises made and promises kept in action. Under President Trump’s leadership, ICE is working around the clock every day to arrest and deport illegal aliens from American communities.”
DHS also pointed to August arrests of illegal immigrants with convictions for murder, child pornography and sexual assault of a minor. The department says more than 3 million illegal immigrants have left the United States since Trump returned to office.
Neither DHS nor Jayapal’s office could be reached for further comment.
