The Trump and DeSantis administrations said immigration raids target gang members, but they constitute 1% off all arrests.
- The Department of Homeland Security launched its "Worst of the Worst" page to highlight immigrant crime.
- There were 27 arrests on the Treasure Coast since the start of the Trump administration.
- About a third off all people arrested by ICE in the last nine months had no criminal history.
The Department of Homeland Security launched a web page Dec. 8 showcasing the “Worst of the Worst” undocumented immigrant arrests since the start of the Trump administration, which includes 27 on the Treasure Coast.
Each entry includes a mugshot, name, country of origin, charges and arrest location. The site doesn't provide dates of arrest, and most entries have no links to additional details.
The only interactive feature allows for people to repost mugshots on social media platforms such as Facebook, X and President Donald Trump's Truth Social.
DHS “Worst of the Worst” immigrants arrested
DHS reports 1,175 arrests in Florida over the past 11 months — about 6% of the state's 20,000 immigration arrests during the same time.
ICE data show about one-third of those arrested since the start of the Trump administration had no criminal history, and 88% of those detained by Customs and Border Patrol had no prior or pending criminal charges, according to DHS data from September to October.
The Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis administrations have said immigration raids target gang members and criminals. However, 28 of the nearly 5,000 Florida "encounters" since Aug. 1 — defined as arrests, contacts in jail, or migrants who were not arrested — were gang-related, according to the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
That's less than 1%. Of the 27 Treasure Coast arrests DHS listed on its "worst" list, one was gang-affiliated.
Immigrants, especially undocumented migrants, are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans, according to the National Institute of Justice. A Cambridge study also found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S.-born white men.
Treasure Coast immigration arrests on DHS list
- Fort Pierce: 11
- Stuart: 6
- Vero Beach: 5
- Port St. Lucie: 3
- Indiantown: 2
Countries of origin
- Cuba: 8
- Mexico: 6
- Guatemala: 5
- Haiti: 3
- Honduras: 3
- Jamaica: 1
- India: 1
Charges
- 6 for aggravated assault
- 5 for hit and run
- 4 for sexual assault
- 4 for fraud or impersonating, which typically involves forged documents of U.S. citizenship, such as driver's licenses, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- 3 for DUI
- 2 for robbery
- 2 for larceny
- 2 for illegal re-entry
- 1 each for homicide and child molestation
ICE, FHP immigration crackdown operation on Treasure Coast
A joint ICE–Florida Highway Patrol operation in mid-October led to 152 arrests, according to the Martin County Sheriff. At least four legal residents were detained for various reasons, TCPalm found. Here are some articles about that:
Jack Lemnus is a TCPalm enterprise reporter. Contact him at [email protected], 772-409-1345, or follow him on X @JackLemnus.
