A new Misryoum report says about 45% of ICE arrests in MA since 2025 involved people without convictions or pending charges.
Federal immigration enforcement in Massachusetts is drawing sharp scrutiny after Misryoum reported that nearly half of people arrested by ICE since 2025 did not have a criminal conviction or a pending criminal case.
According to data highlighted by Misryoum. roughly 45% of immigration arrests in the Commonwealth from last year through early March 2026 involved individuals who were not listed as having been convicted of a crime or facing pending criminal charges.. Misryoum also reports that federal agencies have previously described a very different picture of who is being arrested. citing a much higher share tied to convictions or charges.
The dispute is now at the center of a wider fight over how immigration enforcement is portrayed to the public. In this context, the numbers reported by Misryoum matter because they shape whether residents see enforcement as focused on criminality or as extending beyond it.
Misryoum reports that the Department of Homeland Security has said about 70% of immigration arrests involve people with criminal convictions or pending charges. but the Misryoum dataset reflects a lower proportion.. In Massachusetts. Misryoum says the reporting includes thousands of arrests classified under multiple categories. including people labeled “other immigration violators. ” those listed with convictions. and those listed with pending charges.
The Misryoum account also describes a substantial share of arrests tied to categories that do not fit neatly into the “convicted” or “charged” framework.. While some arrests were unclassified. Misryoum says the data includes both “targeted” enforcement and arrests labeled “collateral. ” which can occur when officers detain more than one person during an operation aimed at a specific individual.
Insight: This matters because “collateral” stops can blur the line between immigration enforcement against alleged criminal conduct and enforcement that reaches people without current cases in the criminal system, changing how outcomes are understood in court and in communities.
Misryoum reports that advocates argue the pattern they see reflects enforcement conducted at street level. including activity around courthouses. where detentions can lead to immigration proceedings even when criminal history is not part of the original picture.. Misryoum also notes that DHS criticized what it called selective use of the data and reiterated that officials target serious offenders.
At the same time. Misryoum reports that DHS said the underlying information used for the analysis was not reviewed. audited. or provided in context.. The agency maintained that individuals categorized as “non-criminals” may still involve serious conduct. while advocates argue the public messaging does not match what the records show.
Insight: As debate intensifies, Misryoum’s reporting underscores how disputes over classification and documentation can influence policy conversations far beyond Massachusetts, affecting how enforcement priorities are evaluated nationwide.