ICE represents its enforcement surge as targeting dangerous criminals, but data tells a different story. Why non-criminals will make up the bulk of ICE arrests, detentions, and deportations.
I appreciate you harnessing data to debunk the long-held notion that ICE targets criminals. I grew up in an immigrant community. I found undocumented immigrants to be the most law-abiding because they knew that even a minor infraction could upend their lives. Many lived with an enduring fear that motivated them to keep a wide berth between them and law enforcement.
What struck me most about your research was the volatility of deportations and detentions of undocumented immigrants without criminal records, which contextualizes the White House press secretary's statement last week that "all undocumented immigrants are criminals." It's the only way they'll get their numbers, to your point. But conflating those who only have immigration violations on their record, which, correct me if I'm wrong, is either a misdemeanor or a civil violation (minor infractions), with immigrants who have serious crimes on their record is morally bankrupt.
"If the Trump administration wants to increase deportations, they’ll have to focus on non-criminals, because there simply aren’t enough people with convictions left to target at the scale they need to in order to produce big deportation numbers."
I always say if you want to hang around with a group of people you can trust not to commit any crimes, hang around with undocumented persons!
Immigration attorneys have stated to me that ICE was stacking & not deporting criminals leading up to the election w/the intention of having great optics of Trump deporting them and not Biden. It’s another con.
I appreciate you harnessing data to debunk the long-held notion that ICE targets criminals. I grew up in an immigrant community. I found undocumented immigrants to be the most law-abiding because they knew that even a minor infraction could upend their lives. Many lived with an enduring fear that motivated them to keep a wide berth between them and law enforcement.
What struck me most about your research was the volatility of deportations and detentions of undocumented immigrants without criminal records, which contextualizes the White House press secretary's statement last week that "all undocumented immigrants are criminals." It's the only way they'll get their numbers, to your point. But conflating those who only have immigration violations on their record, which, correct me if I'm wrong, is either a misdemeanor or a civil violation (minor infractions), with immigrants who have serious crimes on their record is morally bankrupt.
Excellent work as always, Austin. Thank you.
"If the Trump administration wants to increase deportations, they’ll have to focus on non-criminals, because there simply aren’t enough people with convictions left to target at the scale they need to in order to produce big deportation numbers."
I always say if you want to hang around with a group of people you can trust not to commit any crimes, hang around with undocumented persons!
Immigration attorneys have stated to me that ICE was stacking & not deporting criminals leading up to the election w/the intention of having great optics of Trump deporting them and not Biden. It’s another con.