By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Contrary to the Trump administration’s claims, new detention data reveals that only a small percentage of detainees in the Chicago area have criminal records. The Department of Justice filed data on Friday showing that of 614 individuals arrested, just 16 posed a high public safety risk. This list was produced as part of an ongoing lawsuit alleging violations of a consent decree limiting warrantless arrests. Further investigation has suggested that many of those detained may have been targeted based on profile rather than criminal history.
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‘Worst of the Worst’? DOJ Figures Show 97.4% of 614 Detained Immigrants in Chicago Had No Criminal Record
So, here’s the kicker: the Department of Justice (DOJ) released some figures, and they paint a pretty clear picture of what’s been happening in Chicago. They rounded up 614 immigrants, supposedly targeting the “worst of the worst.” But, and this is a big but, a staggering 97.4% of those detained had absolutely no criminal record. Think about that for a second. That means nearly everyone caught up in this dragnet was simply trying to live their lives, work, and contribute to the community, not causing problems.
The sheer discrepancy is just mind-boggling. It makes you wonder, why aren’t they going after literal gangs? The focus seems to be shifted to targeting people who were showing up at immigration courts, or working honestly at job sites. It’s almost as if ICE is more interested in making a show of force, arresting people that are just trying to live their lives. Instead, we’re locking up people delivering food, landscaping, or just trying to get by.
The numbers are pretty damning. Essentially, the “worst of the worst” are the folks in charge of this. It begs the question: What’s the real goal here? Is it about public safety, or is it something else entirely? Many suspect that it has more to do with ethnic cleansing than actually fighting crime. It appears that the directive was to find those who entered the country illegally, by that definition, they are all “criminals.”
It’s a huge waste of resources. Billions of dollars are being poured into this, when they could be used to help Americans. This doesn’t seem to have any regard for the reality of the situation: that most immigrants are just trying to make a living, contributing to society, and seeking a better life. They’re the ones working the jobs that others don’t want at $5 an hour, earning their place in our society.
The narrative of “worst of the worst” feels like a carefully constructed smokescreen. The focus on immigration status, instead of actual criminal behavior, is a deeply flawed approach. If we’re really serious about making our communities safer, we need to focus on genuine threats, not people who are just trying to earn an honest living.
This isn’t about protecting our communities; it’s about terrorizing people of color. The ones that are being targeted aren’t high-level criminals, but rather people who might be the “neighbors, cheap labor, landscapers, cleaners, fruit pickers, or roofers” in any given neighborhood. It’s a sad reality when we’re arresting immigrants for not having the right paperwork.
The reality, as those numbers show, is that the vast majority of these people are not criminals. That makes you wonder, if these actions are meant to make the communities safer, why do they focus on people that haven’t even had a parking ticket? It’s a total betrayal of trust.
The administration’s spin on this is that any immigrant who is here illegally is a criminal, despite the lack of criminal record. It’s a dangerous path when a person’s skin color determines their fate. It’s a waste of funds that could be used to help Americans. Instead, we’re spending billions to go backward.
It’s important to remember that these actions don’t reflect the values of a country. The actions taken here have always been about terrorizing people of color. The crime is entering the country illegally, but it’s not the same as committing violent crimes.