President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is facing renewed criticism after reports revealed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is detaining growing numbers of noncriminal immigrants. The shift shows a sharp drop in detainees with criminal backgrounds, sparking fears over fairness and the future of legal protections such as DACA and Temporary Protected Status. Advocates warn the policy could expose thousands of law-abiding immigrants to deportation.
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Rising Detentions Without Crimes
Recent reports show a significant shift in ICE detention patterns. While detainees with criminal histories once made up more than 75 percent of arrests, that share has now dropped to about 50 percent. Instead, a growing portion of those held have no criminal background at all. In June alone, ICE detained around 59,000 immigrants, with nearly half lacking any criminal record.
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ICE Defends Its Approach
ICE officials defended the enforcement strategy, framing illegal entry itself as a crime. “These are people who have committed a crime against the United States by entering this country illegally,” said Madison Sheahan, ICE’s deputy director. The agency has insisted that its operations remain lawful, regardless of whether individuals have committed additional offenses.
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Legal Protections Under Threat
Among those being detained are immigrants with longstanding legal protections. Reports highlight that DACA recipients, known as “Dreamers,” and those under Temporary Protected Status are increasingly vulnerable. Nearly 1 million people have already lost TPS protections. Immigration advocates say this signals a major rollback of programs meant to safeguard long-settled communities from deportation.
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Growing Anxiety Among Dreamers
The policy shift has stirred deep concern for DACA beneficiaries, who were previously promised protections. Immigration attorney Rachel Einbund questioned, “Does this mean that every single dreamer is subject to deportation because [Department of Homeland Security] changed their mind?” Advocates argue that what was once considered a shield is now being dismantled piece by piece.
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Advocates Sound the Alarm
Anabel Mendoza, communications director of United We Dream, said activists had long feared this outcome. “We’ve known that DACA remains a program that has been temporary. We’ve sounded the alarms over that,” she said. “What we are seeing now is that DACA is being chipped away at.” Her comments reflect growing anxiety in immigrant communities about losing even fragile protections.
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DHS Clarifies Its Stance
The Department of Homeland Security pushed back against criticism, stressing that DACA was never a guarantee of legal residency. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country.” She added, “Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation for a number of reasons, including if they’ve committed a crime.”