Fewer Than 10,000 Have Serious Criminal Records—So Why Were Millions Targeted for Deportation?
The Trump administration claimed to be cracking down on “criminal aliens,” but when you dig into the numbers, the reality is both stark and revealing. Of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., fewer than 10,000 are wanted for serious crimes. Yet the administration unleashed a mass deportation campaign that swept up millions — many with no criminal records at all.
What’s worse, in the process, they eroded one of America’s most fundamental principles: the right to due process.
🔢 The Numbers Expose the Lie
Despite all the tough talk about dangerous criminals, the data tells a very different story:
There are 10.5 to 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
Fewer than 10,000 are suspected or convicted of serious violent crimes like homicide, rape, or armed robbery.
The vast majority of deportations under Trump involved minor offenses: overstaying a visa, crossing the border without papers, missing an immigration hearing, or old deportation orders.
These are not hardened criminals. They’re parents, workers, students — people with families and deep ties to American communities.
⚖️ Due Process Isn’t Optional — It’s the Law
Let’s set the record straight: due process applies to everyone, not just citizens.
The 5th and 14th Amendments guarantee that “no person” shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
That means:
A fair hearing before a judge
Access to legal counsel
The ability to challenge accusations
The right to appeal
Denying these protections doesn’t just harm immigrants — it weakens the rule of law for all of us.
🚨 How Trump’s Immigration Policies Bypassed Justice
Despite legal obligations, the Trump administration pushed policies that stripped away due process:
1. Expedited Removals
Allowed ICE to deport individuals without hearings if they couldn't prove they'd been in the U.S. for two years or more.
2. Detention Without Trial
People were held in detention centers, often without access to attorneys, translators, or court documents.
3. No Counsel for Children
Children — sometimes as young as toddlers — were forced to represent themselves in immigration court.
4. Politicized Immigration Courts
Judges were given quotas and pressured to fast-track deportations over fair assessments.
This wasn’t law and order. It was state-sponsored railroading — often of people who had done nothing violent or dangerous.
🧠 If You Deny Rights to Some, You Erode Rights for All
Let’s be honest: when a government begins chipping away rights from the most vulnerable, it sets the stage for broader abuses.
Today it’s undocumented immigrants. Tomorrow it could be:
Protesters
Journalists
Naturalized citizens
Political opponents
The Constitution protects people, not just citizens. If we’re willing to throw out due process for some, we open the door to losing it ourselves.
🧨 “Law and Order” Without Fairness Is Just Authoritarianism
Those who cheered on Trump’s deportation agenda often did so in the name of “law and order.” But true law and order is rooted in:
The presumption of innocence
A fair and impartial justice system
Equal protection under the law
Without due process, we’re not enforcing justice — we’re enforcing power. And that’s the path of authoritarian regimes, not constitutional democracies.
❤️ The Soul of America Is on Trial
The test of a nation’s values isn’t how it treats the wealthy, powerful, or well-connected. It’s how it treats the most powerless — including immigrants without documents.
If we allow millions to be targeted for deportation while only a tiny fraction have committed serious crimes, and if we strip them of their legal rights in the process, then we are the ones violating the law.
✊ Final Word
Fewer than 10,000 undocumented immigrants are serious criminals. But millions were treated like threats, denied justice, and deported.
The numbers don’t lie. And neither does the Constitution.
If we truly value justice, liberty, and the rule of law, then due process must apply to everyone — especially those without power. That’s not just good policy. It’s the American way.