Over 451,000 Criminal Noncitizens Arrested in Texas Over 14 Years
An updated report published by the Texas Department of Public Safety reveals that more than 451,000 criminal noncitizens have been arrested and booked into local Texas jails over the past 14 years. Among them, 322,000 are confirmed to be in the U.S. illegally, based on available U.S. Department of Homeland Security data.
Key Points from the Report:
- Data covers June 1, 2011, through Feb. 28, 2025.
- 322,000 confirmed illegal foreign nationals were charged with over 564,000 combined criminal offenses.
- 208,000 convictions resulted from these charges.
- Foreign nationals’ lawful status is determined by matching fingerprints to a DHS database.
- Secure Communities program enables DHS to work with state and local law enforcement to apprehend dangerous illegal foreign nationals.
The data pertains to Texas state offenses only and excludes records from other states, federal charges, and crimes committed by legally present foreign nationals. Among the charges faced by the confirmed illegal foreign nationals are homicide, assault, burglary, drug-related offenses, kidnapping, theft, obstructing police, robbery, sexual assault, sexual offenses, and weapons charges.
It’s important to note that not all arrested individuals are in the DHS database at the time of their arrest, making it challenging to verify their citizenship status. Furthermore, the report highlights that individuals identified as illegal foreign nationals while incarcerated may not have been identified through the Secure Communities program at the time of their arrest.
From 2011 to Feb. 28, 2025, Texas Department of Criminal Justice provided information on over 33,000 illegal foreign nationals identified by DHS while incarcerated. These individuals were implicated in various criminal offenses, including homicide, assault, burglary, drugs, kidnapping, theft, obstructing police, robbery, sexual assault, sexual offenses, and weapons charges.
Overall, the updated data reinforces the concerning issue of criminal noncitizens in the Texas justice system. It’s crucial for law enforcement agencies to continue collaborating with DHS to address public safety threats posed by illegal foreign nationals.
