White House brings receipts after media claims noncriminal ICE arrests ‘soaring’: ‘False narratives’

EXCLUSIVE: The White House and Department of Homeland Security are pushing back on "false narratives" being advanced by the mainstream media and bringing the receipts after the Washington Post and New York Times reported that noncriminal ICE arrests are skyrocketing under President Donald Trump.

The Washington Post reported last week that ICE is arresting "soaring numbers" of "noncriminal" illegal immigrants.

The outlet said the agency had "detained more people without a criminal record this year than in all of 2025." The New York Times took a similar line, reporting that "ICE arrests soar as people with no criminal record are increasingly targeted." However, Lauren Bis, a special assistant to the president and White House spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital that though "nearly 70% of illegal aliens arrested by ICE have been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States," the "actual arrests of public safety threats and criminals is much higher." This, she said, is due to many of the "noncriminal" illegal immigrants arrested by ICE having prior criminal history in their home country, including murder, child sex abuse and gang activity.

"These are just a few of the media's ‘non-criminals,’" said Bis, adding, "Why does the mainstream media continue to peddle false narratives protecting criminal illegal aliens?" TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE'S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY Fox News Digital reached out to the Washington Post and New York Times for comment.

According to the Department of Homeland Security , "Nearly 70% of illegal aliens ICE arrested across the country have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges just in the U.S." The agency said, however, that this statistic "doesn't account for those wanted for violent crimes in their home country or another country, INTERPOL notices, human rights abusers, gang members, terrorists" and other offenses in foreign countries.

While DHS has emphasized that entering the country unlawfully constitutes a crime, the agency has previously shed light on some of the serious criminal charges of individuals considered noncriminal arrests.

This May, Homeland Security Investigations arrested Salvadoran national Josue Saul Garcia-Lopez, who, despite not having a U.S. criminal record, had an international warrant showing him as an active member of the foreign terrorist organization MS-13 and had been involved in extortion and robbery schemes in El Salvador for several years.

NEW YORK TIMES TORCHED FOR ‘FALSE’ REPORTING ON ICE INVESTIGATIONS, OUTLET FIRES BACK Just days before, ICE had also arrested a Honduran national named Fredy Alexander Lopez Lara, who had an international warrant for homicide in his home country.