Illegal immigration turned out to be one of the most important issues for Americans in this past election, alongside the economy, inflation, and healthcare. It comes as no surprise after Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the entire Democrat Party has been either turning a blind eye or facilitating millions of foreign nationals pouring into this country.

The result? Havoc beyond measure. Known terrorists, thousands of pounds of fentanyl, and plenty of other criminals have crossed into our great nation.

But many bleeding hearts would have you believe that illegal immigrants commit far fewer crimes than the natural-born population. There’s three problems with that notion.

One: even if it were true, it doesn’t justify allowing them into the country.

Two: By definition, all illegal immigrations are criminals since they broke our immigration laws.

And three: The data tells a completely different tale.

A detailed analysis reveals that millions of migrants—those President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to prioritize for deportation—have criminal records that remain unknown, thanks to illegal crossings, lax enforcement, and poor data collection by federal authorities and sanctuary jurisdictions.

This lack of accountability casts a shadow over U.S. immigration policies, particularly those under the Biden-Harris administration, which saw a surge in unlawful entries. A study by RealClearInvestigations (RCI) suggests the crime rate involving noncitizens is vastly understated. Using estimates from the Justice Department’s National Institute of Justice, RCI found that crimes committed by illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. by July 2021 have cost the country at least $166.5 billion in economic damages.

Criminal Histories: Unknown and Overlooked

The problem starts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose initial vetting processes are hampered by poor record-keeping in migrants’ home countries. Determining criminal histories for migrants from these regions is often impractical, leading to many illegal immigrants being released into the U.S. before their backgrounds are fully checked.

ICE revealed to Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) that over the past 40 years, it has released 7.4 million “nondetained” noncitizens, of whom 662,566 were flagged for criminal histories. These include:

• 13,099 convictions for homicide, with 1,845 pending charges.
• 9,461 convictions for s*x offenses, excluding assault or commercialized s*x, and 2,659 pending charges.
• Tens of thousands of convictions for crimes like assault, robbery, s*xual assault, weapons offenses, and drug-related offenses.

However, these figures represent only the most serious crime committed by each individual, meaning someone convicted of both murder and s*xual assault would only be listed under murder. This approach underrepresents the true extent of their criminality.

Moreover, millions of migrants are lawbreakers simply by virtue of their unauthorized presence in the U.S., compounded by crimes such as working illegally or using stolen Social Security numbers.

“Gotaways” and Unseen Threats

Beyond the migrants who ICE tracks, there’s another category: “gotaways.” These are individuals observed crossing the border but never apprehended. Since 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) estimates 2 million gotaways have entered the country. With border agents stretched thin—38% reassigned to processing and 30% of surveillance cameras nonfunctional—countless others have likely slipped through undetected, potentially including violent criminals.

The Cost of Crime

Criminals rarely stop at one offense. Studies show:

• 70% of violent felons in large counties between 1990 and 2002 had prior arrests.
• In 2023, the average homicide suspect in Washington, D.C., had been arrested 11 times before their most recent crime.

RealClearInvestigations used National Institute of Justice tools to calculate the economic toll of these crimes. Assuming each of the 662,566 noncitizen offenders committed just one crime in the U.S., the total victimization costs reach $166.5 billion:

• $153.8 billion for murders.
• $6 billion for s*xual assaults/offenses.
• $5.2 billion for other violent crimes.

These figures encompass tangible costs like medical care, law enforcement resources, and property damage, along with intangible damages such as fear, pain, and diminished quality of life.

Policy Failures Amplify the Crisis

Under Biden and Harris, the surge in illegal immigration coincided with record-breaking crime costs and a growing backlog of unchecked migrants. ICE’s data highlights a glaring issue: the criminal risks posed by illegal immigration remain understated, with sanctuary policies and lax enforcement only worsening the situation.

President Trump’s focus on prioritizing deportations for criminals brings into focus the urgent need to confront this crisis. Yet, as the Biden-Harris era shows, neglecting border enforcement and allowing gaps in data collection only perpetuates the problem, leaving American families and communities to shoulder the devastating costs.

What do you think of the Trump administration’s deportation plans? As always, be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below.