Homicides down 17% as ICE arrests surge under Trump administration
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A new report from the Council on Criminal Justice brought welcome news: crime is down across much of America. But what the report doesn’t say out loud is that the timing is no coincidence. President Donald Trump is simply enforcing immigration laws already on the books — proof that we don’t need more laws; we just need leaders with the backbone to enforce the laws we have. The results are undeniable: communities nationwide are seeing tangible improvements in public safety.
According to the report, homicides dropped 17% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Gun assaults are down 21%. Robberies fell 20% and carjackings plummeted by 24%. Even property crimes — like burglary and larceny — saw double-digit declines.
These aren’t just statistics. They reflect real communities seeing real results.
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While violent crime fell, ICE arrests surged — more than doubling in places like Sacramento and climbing over 500% in California overall. Nationwide, immigration arrests have already topped 300,000 in 2025 alone. That’s not political theater. That’s law enforcement doing its job.
A new report shows that crime, especially violent crime, fell across the nation as illegal immigration arrests surged.
This data shows the power of real deterrence, the effect of giving law enforcement respect and support to do their job. The fact that these historic drops occurred in the absence of passing new laws gives strong evidence to the power of simply letting law enforcement do their jobs.
Conservative Americans have always known that lawlessness — whether from violent repeat offenders or criminal illegal aliens — makes our cities less safe. Under Trump’s unwavering leadership, the pendulum is finally swinging back toward sanity. He is proving what we’ve long known: you can’t have public safety without border security.
TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PUSH RESULTS IN SKYROCKETING ARRESTS OF CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS
Thanks to the “UPLIFT Act” (H.R. 1680), sanctuary jurisdictions are being forced to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Cities shouldn’t be safe havens for known criminals simply because their mayors want to make headlines on cable news.
Critics claim the administration’s immigration agenda is harsh. But what’s truly harsh is letting gang members, human traffickers and drug smugglers remain on American soil out of fear of being labeled “xenophobic.” That’s not compassion, that’s cowardice.
Trump’s approach to public safety is working. As ICE ramps up operations, violent offenders are being taken off the streets. In Texas, immigration arrests are up 92%. In Florida, 219%. These are hardened criminals — many with prior convictions — who are no longer free to endanger our communities.
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Anyone who wants to call this immigration enforcement “overreach” should ask the families in Chicago, Los Angeles or Miami who no longer fear nightly gunfire and mayhem. Ask the parents whose kids are no longer walking past open-air drug markets on their way to school. Americans don’t care about D.C. talking points. They care about the results.
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The CCJ report notes that today’s violent crime levels are even lower than they were in 2019 — before the pandemic and the defund-the-police chaos. While liberals spent the last five years demonizing law enforcement, Trump stood with the men and women in uniform. Now we’re seeing the payoff.
This data shows the power of real deterrence, the effect of giving law enforcement respect and support to do their job.
Make no mistake: the Biden-era border crisis led to an influx of dangerous individuals, and blue-state sanctuary policies allowed them to disperse into our major cities. But as those policies are being reversed, public safety is being restored.
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As the newly sworn in Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said, “The biggest reason right now that we’re seeing that massive reduction is because people are held accountable for violating the law, and they’re quickly removed from the United States.”
President Trump is doing what he promised: protecting the innocent, restoring law and order, and making America safe again. The data speaks for itself. And for the first time in a long time, Americans can feel it in their neighborhoods and homes.
Ja’Ron K. Smith is the special assistant to the president of the United States for domestic policy.
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