New Data Reveals Shocking Statistics on Migrant Crime

Background Checks on Illegal Aliens

New data on criminal noncitizens entering the U.S. has raised concerns. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducts background checks on illegal aliens in their custody. However, a recent letter from the administration to Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) reveals that as of July 21, 2024, ICE has allowed 435,719 convicted criminals and 226,847 individuals with pending criminal charges in their home countries to enter the U.S.

Breakdown of Convictions and Charges

Among those cleared by ICE, 13,099 have convictions for homicide, and another 1,845 were facing criminal charges. Convictions for sex offenses (not including assault or commercial sex) amount to 9,461, while 2,659 face pending charges. Other convictions include assault (62,231), robbery (10,031), sexual assault (15,811), weapons offenses (13,423), and dangerous drugs (56,533).

Implications of the Data

Approximately 7.4 million noncitizens are in the “national docket data,” so 662,776 is 9% of the total. Extrapolating these numbers to the homicide rate in the U.S., it suggests that the government is allowing migrants into the country who commit murder at a rate 50% higher than the rest of the U.S. population.

These numbers likely underestimate the crime rate of these noncitizens. Those who don't turn themselves in are more likely to have something to hide, referred to as “gotaways,” who are observed illegally entering the U.S. but not caught or turned back.

Remain-in-Mexico Policy and Current Challenges

Under the Remain-in-Mexico policy, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducted background checks on immigrants’ cases, including contacting the country that the immigrant is from before they are approved to come to the U.S.

Currently, ICE agents cannot access the same databases to check on the immigrants, and they didn't contact the immigrant’s home country. The massive influx of immigrants has overwhelmed the system. The Deputy Director for ICE attributes this to the “enormous workload” agents face, preventing them from conducting even the limited background checks they are doing. The government can't house these immigrants until their backgrounds are properly checked.

Delayed Response and Accusations of Misrepresentation

It took over six months for the Biden administration to finally respond to a congressional request for these numbers. The deputy director for ICE “apologized” for the delay.

There are allegations that the Biden-Harris administration is misrepresenting the border crisis to make it appear less severe. Retired San Diego Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke testified in mid-September that the Biden-Harris administration ordered him not to publicize the arrests of illegal border crossers identified as having ties to terrorism.

Concerns Over Current Administration Policies

Democrats have pointed out that some of these criminals entered the U.S. before the Biden administration. However, the administration’s letter to Rep. Tony Gonzales didn’t provide a breakdown of how many came through under Biden-Harris. The current administration policy, with its limited background checks and overwhelmed agents, has a much higher error rate compared to Trump’s Remain-in-Mexico approach. Background checks are ineffective if officials don’t even contact the immigrant’s home country.

Even if illegal immigrants weren't committing crimes at higher rates than the general population, the American people have a right to expect those entering this country to be screened to prevent more criminals from entering the country. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have the authority to call for expedited extradition for criminal illegal aliens in the U.S., but they have only moved to make extradition more difficult.

Bottom Line

The recent data on migrant crime is alarming, raising questions about the effectiveness of the current immigration policies and procedures. It's clear that changes need to be made to ensure the safety of the American population. What are your thoughts on this issue? Share this article with your friends and discuss. Don't forget to sign up for the Daily Briefing, available every day at 6pm.