An analysis of official data conducted by the conservative Cato Institute revealed that during his term, the government of former president and candidate Donald Trump released more than double the number of convicted criminal migrants in the United States compared to the administration of President Joe Biden. During Trump's term from 2017 to 2021, over 58,000 'non-citizens with criminal records' were released, including nearly 9,000 violent offenders and more than 300 murderers.
The Cato Institute points out that during the Trump administration, the focus was on detaining asylum-seeking migrants while releasing a large number of criminals in the country. On the other hand, the Biden administration has prioritized the expulsion of criminals, releasing a lower percentage of these compared to what was done by Trump.
The analysis highlights that the policies implemented by Trump incentivized criminal migrants to illegally enter the country, resulting in a significant increase in the number of convicted criminals attempting to cross the border. Conversely, the Biden administration has managed to reduce the entry of criminals by 80% following the elimination of Trump's Title 42 policy in May 2023.
During his term, Trump signed an executive order repealing the Obama administration's policies that prioritized the detention and removal of serious threats to public safety, which resulted in an increase in illegal crossing attempts by individuals with criminal records. Although there is no detailed breakdown of who all the individuals released during these processes due to Title 42 were, it is noted that ICE reduced the releases of convicted criminals by 54% between December 2020 and June 2024.
In summary, the Cato Institute's analysis highlights the differences in immigration policy between the Trump and Biden administrations, emphasizing the release of criminals during the former president's term and the focus on the expulsion of criminals by the current administration.
