In the 100 days since President Donald Trump signed executive orders on immigration enforcement, arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs agents have risen nearly 37 percent over the same period last year.
ICE officials report that nearly 75 percent of the 41,300 arrested between January 22 and April 29 are criminals convicted or suspected of charges including homicide, assault, sexual abuse, and drug-related offenses.
Among them, an MS-13 gang member arrested Houston last month, wanted for murder in El Salvador.
“These statistics reflect President Trump’s commitment to enforce our immigration laws fairly and across the board. ICE agents and officers have been given clear direction to focus on threats to public safety and national security, which has resulted in a substantial increase in the arrest of convicted criminal aliens,” said ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan.
“However, when we encounter others who are in the country unlawfully, we will execute our sworn duty and enforce the law. As the data demonstrates, ICE continues to execute our mission professionally and in accordance with the law, and our communities will be much safer for it.”
Agents also arrested 50 percent more “aliens at-large in the community” -- more than 12,700 this year compared to just 8,300 under President Barack Obama a year ago.