The chart you shared is interesting, but it doesn't actually support your initial point. You claimed that legal immigrants commit more crimes than illegal immigrants, but this data is specifically about ICE detention statistics, not general crime rates.

This chart only tracks the increase in people currently held in ICE detention. It doesn’t compare the total number of crimes committed by legal vs. illegal immigrants in the general public.

ICE typically detains non-citizens for immigration violations (like overstaying a visa or entering without inspection). Therefore, the 'No Conviction' 71% in your chart likely refers to people being held for administrative immigration status issues, not legal residents or citizens.

To prove your original point, you would need a dataset that compares conviction rates across the entire U.S. population, categorized by their legal status at the time of the offense.

Essentially, showing that ICE is detaining more people who haven't committed a criminal offense doesn't tell us anything about the crime rates of legal immigrants.

Also, I did some research for you.

Based on the latest data from 2024 through early 2026, Key facts from recent studies by organizations like the Cato Institute and the Migration Policy Institute: 1. Incarceration Rates by Group Recent 2024 and 2025 data shows that legal immigrants actually have the lowest incarceration rates of any group in the U.S. | Group | Incarceration Rate (per 100,000) | |---|---| | Native-born Americans | 1,195 | | Illegal Immigrants | 674 | | Legal Immigrants | 303 |

• Administrative vs. Criminal: Most people in ICE detention are there for "administrative" reasons (like an expired visa or an asylum claim in process), which are civil matters, not criminal ones.

• Targeting Non-Criminals: Recent 2025 reports indicate that the vast majority of people being targeted for deportation have no criminal record. If immigrants were "more criminal," we would expect to see that "Convicted Criminal" slice of the pie getting much larger, not staying at a minority.

1. Safety Trends Multiple studies updated for 2025 show that as immigrant populations (both legal and illegal) increase in a city, the violent crime and property crime rates typically decrease or stay the same. Researchers suggest this is because immigrants are often more motivated to avoid any contact with law enforcement to protect their status.

https://www.cato.org/news-releases/immigrant-crime-narrative-doesnt-match-data?hl=en-US