The Daily Wire reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers “across the country” were told to stop arresting noncriminal immigrants, citing unnamed agency sources. The outlet also said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called the report “false” and stated “no one is off the table.” We have not independently verified either claim.
What the report claims
According to The Daily Wire’s unnamed sources, ICE agents were instructed to arrest only immigrants with criminal convictions or current charges “for the time being,” and to forgo “collateral” arrests of others encountered during operations. The report further says people with final deportation orders but no criminal charges or convictions would not be arrested under the alleged pause.
The Daily Wire quoted one unnamed ICE source as saying, “We’ll see the arrest numbers go down.” No internal memo or on-the-record directive was provided in the report.
DHS response reported by the outlet
The Daily Wire said DHS disputed the story as “false” and asserted that “no one is off the table” for arrest. An update appended to the source article also said “officials” suggested a miscommunication may have occurred and that all immigrants remain subject to arrest. The update did not name the officials or provide documents.
Unverified context raised by the source
The Daily Wire linked the alleged pause to fallout from a recent officer-involved shooting in Austin, Texas, involving an ICE officer and a Venezuelan man during a traffic stop, and said ICE issued a nationwide body-camera reminder. The outlet also described subsequent court action in that case. These details were not independently corroborated here.
What we don’t know
- Whether any formal ICE or DHS directive ordered a pause on noncriminal arrests
- Who, if anyone, authorized such guidance, and for how long
- Whether arrest data reflect any change suggested by the report
- Which officials provided the “miscommunication” clarification and what it specifically entailed
We will update if DHS or ICE publish on-the-record guidance or if verifiable documents emerge.
