CATO statistic of 73% with no criminal convictions omits pending charges; DHS data shows majority of ICE arrests involve convictions or charges

Cato is right that many ICE detainees have no criminal convictions, but that number can sound softer than the full picture. DHS data counts both convictions and pending charges, and that pushes the share with some legal issue much higher. So the two groups aren’t using the same yardstick. Politicians often grab the smaller, cleaner number because it feels safer, but the broader DHS data shows a more mixed and less comforting reality.