DHS Denies Agents Were Told to Stand Down Arrests for Non-Criminals

The Department of Homeland Security denied reports that immigration agents had been told over the weekend to stop arresting non-criminals during their enforcement efforts.

“This is false. No one is off the table. We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens that come into our path,” DHS wrote in an email and shared to X, adding that “ICE has initiated a nationwide public safety surge in sanctuary cities where our brave officers will be targeting criminal illegal aliens.”

The Daily Wire first reported that a new policy was aimed at only targeting immigrants with a criminal record and would also end “collateral arrests,” which occur when individuals that are not the focus of immigration enforcement officials are arrested in an operation.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin said on X that he spoke with President Donald Trump as well as several ICE and DHS sources about the guidance and was “told it’s erroneous, was some type of ‘miscommunication’ during conversations about prioritizing ‘worst first.’”

{snip}