The $400,000 Price of Fear

The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has affected over 400,000 individuals with no violent criminal history, including parents and spouses of U.S. citizens. Critics argue that the policy of mass deportation could lead to a child welfare crisis, with many children losing primary caretakers or going to guardians.

According to an ABC News analysis of government data, only 3% of individuals detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first 14 months of the second Trump administration had a violent felony conviction.

14,450 U.S.-born Children at Risk

The data also shows that in the first eight months of 2025,ICE apprehended the parents of approximately 14,450 U.S.-born children, nearly surpassing the total for all of 2024 and surpassing the yearly totals for both 2022 and 2023.

Of those apprehended during the administration's first seven months, more than 9,700 children saw at least one parent placed into immigration detention, with over 7,000 parents eventually being deported.

Spouses of U.S. Citizens Caught in the Crossfire

In the first eight months of 2025,ICE also apprehended 4,843 spouses of U.S. citizens, with over 2,000 of these spouses being deported during the first seven months of the term.

Of the over 2,000 spouses of U.S. citizens deported during the first seven months of the term,165 had a violent felonny conviction.

Cherry-Picking the Data?

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that the data is being cherry picked to peddle a false narrative, claiming that nearly 70% of ICE arrests are criminal illegal aliens and that the agency is continuing to go after the worst of the worst, including gang members, pedophiles , and rapists.

However, critics argue that the policy of mass deportation could lead to a child welfare crisis, with many children losing primary caretakers or going to guardians.