Nearly 70% of California immigrant detainees have no criminal conviction

Mathew Miranda, The Sacramento Bee on Mar 16, 2026

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Nearly 70% of the people held in California’s detention centers have no criminal conviction, according to the latest data from U.S. Immigration, Customs and Enforcement.

The figure is consistent with the conviction rate of detainees across the country and further underscores how immigrants are targeted under President Donald Trump’s second term. The administration, despite its rhetoric to pursue the “worst of the worst,” has fueled its increase in arrests, detentions and deportations with enforcement against people without criminal records and those following the legal pathway to be in the country.

More than 6,400 people are being held in California’s detention centers, as of ICE data from February. Of those, 69% are classified as “No ICE Threat Level” — meaning they have no criminal conviction.

The newest data shows that California has seen a slight increase in the percent of detainees who have convictions. In September, 85% of detainees had no conviction. The state’s numbers align with national trends, with ICE’s data showing that 74% of detainees in the country haven’t been convicted of crime.

ICE defines its threat level by the recency of the criminal behavior and its severity. Detainees are graded on a scale from one to three, with one being the highest severity. Roughly 18% of detainees in California were deemed a threat level one, according to last month’s data.

Detentions in the state have more than doubled compared to early 2025 when the facilities were housing roughly 3,000 people per day. The increase follows an upswing in arrests and deportations across the state. They are also tied to reports of worsening detention conditions.

California ranks third among all states in the total number of detainees. As of last month, Texas had more than 18,000 people detained and Louisiana had about 8,200.

Some of the Golden State’s growth can also be attributed to the California City Immigration Processing Center, the state’s largest detention facility. The center, which opened in the fall, has a capacity for more than 2,500 people.

In total, the state has seven detention centers with a capacity of 8,500 beds. All the facilities are operated by private companies and located in the southern half of the state.

Immigrants held at Central Valley-based facilities are challenging their detention in federal court at the second-highest rate nationally, according to previous reporting from The Fresno Bee. Immigration lawyers across the nation are using these challenges, known as habeas corpus petitions, to successfully get their clients out of ICE custody.

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