(NewsNation) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem emphasized Monday that the Trump administration’s federal immigration enforcement is focused on “the worst of the worst.”
Standing behind a table lined with confiscated weapons and drugs, Noem pointed to recent arrests in Sarasota, Florida, where the news briefing was held. She mentioned the detainment of a convicted murderer, a man convicted of sexual assault against a child and another who was arrested on drunk driving charges.
“These individuals are just a handful of people that have been in this country, creating victims out of American citizens,” Noem said.
The White House has continually increased immigration enforcement and the deployment of federal forces in cities like Chicago, Portland and potentially San Francisco.
Noem said she’d visited both Chicago and Portland, but stopped in Sarasota to tout arrests she believes the media aren’t covering — and to praise officers carrying out enforcement.
“This is a reminder of the work that we do, but that we need to continue that work and let these law enforcement officers know that they’re appreciated,” Noem said Monday.
Data calls ‘worst of the worst’ arrests into question
The Department of Homeland Security has made more than 480,000 arrests during Trump’s second administration, according to Noem.
High-ranking Trump officials, including Noem, have repeatedly touted these arrests as being the “worst of the worst” offenders — though data from Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University found a majority of those currently in immigration detention have no criminal records.
During a NewsNation town hall, White House border czar Tom Homan said nearly 70% of those arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are threats to public safety or national security, while the remaining 30% are collateral arrests.
“Our job is the removal of these gang members,” Homan said.
TRAC data found the reverse: 42,755 of 59,762 people in ICE detention, or 71.5%, had no criminal conviction as of late September.
NewsNation’s Ali Bradley and Damita Menezes contributed to this report.