The White House has yet to respond to newly released data revealing the number of illegal immigrants with convictions for serious crimes like sex offenses and homicide, who are currently not in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
ICE shared this information with Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, detailing the national statistics on illegal immigrants with criminal charges or convictions as of July 2024. The data is categorized into those in detention and those on the non-detained docket — noncitizens who are either undergoing removal proceedings or have final orders of removal but are not held in ICE custody.
Currently, the non-detained docket holds over 7.4 million individuals, a sharp rise from the approximately 3.7 million when former President Trump left office. Among the non-detained, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges. The data does not specify how many of these individuals recently entered the country.
For comparison, in August 2016, ICE reported about 2.2 million noncitizens on the non-detained docket, including 368,574 convicted criminals. According to the latest figures, convicted criminals on the non-detained docket include 62,231 convicted of assault, 14,301 convicted of burglary, 56,533 with drug convictions, and 13,099 convicted of homicide. There are also 2,521 with kidnapping convictions and 15,811 convicted of sexual assault. Additionally, there are 1,845 with pending homicide charges, 42,915 with assault charges, and 3,266 with burglary charges.
Neither the White House nor Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, who is currently visiting the southern border in Arizona, provided any comments on the data. Fox News Digital also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for a response.
The data has sparked outrage among Republicans, who attribute the rise in numbers to the Biden administration’s policies and the sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with ICE.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, called the figures “beyond disturbing” and urged the Biden-Harris administration to act. “It should be a wake-up call for the Biden-Harris administration and cities across the country that hide behind sanctuary policies,” he stated. “Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities. As an Appropriator, I will do everything in my power to ensure ICE has the resources necessary to deport noncitizens with a criminal record—this must be a priority.”
Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green also criticized the administration, stating, “This is madness. It is something no civilized, well-functioning society should tolerate.”
In a letter to Gonzales, ICE criticized “sanctuary” cities for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities, arguing that these policies protect dangerous criminals who often target immigrant communities themselves. ICE also highlighted the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to remove illegal immigrants, noting that from mid-May 2023 to the end of July 2024, over 893,600 individuals were removed or returned, including more than 138,300 in family units.
Although the Biden administration has prioritized removing individuals deemed national security or public safety threats, critics argue these narrowed priorities have led to a decrease in ICE removals. Republicans have largely blamed the ongoing border crisis on the administration’s policies, particularly the rollback of Trump-era restrictions on “catch and release.”
The White House has argued that more funding and reforms from Congress are needed, citing a bipartisan Senate bill introduced earlier this year that would increase the number of ICE detention beds. However, critics point to underutilized detention beds as evidence that the administration isn’t fully addressing the issue.
In response to questions about the growing non-detained docket this summer, a White House spokesperson pointed to the bipartisan bill, blaming Republicans for blocking the reform effort. “Congressional Republicans had an opportunity to support the fairest and toughest set of reforms in decades, and they chose to put partisan political interests ahead of fixing our immigration system and securing our borders,” the spokesperson said.
As Vice President Harris continues her visit to the southern border, she has sought to present herself as tougher on border security than former President Trump, whom she blames for blocking a key border security bill. “Donald Trump tanked a bill to improve border security—just so he can win this election,” she said. “As I have shown throughout my career, I won’t back down from my plan to make our border more secure.”
