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ICE officers say criminals only; DHS says 'no one is off the table' in sanctuary-city surge

DHS says ICE has begun a nationwide surge in sanctuary cities. Several ICE officers told the Daily Wire they had been told to arrest only people with criminal charges or convictions. DHS says that is 'false'. Its own statement then says the surge targets 'murderers, rapists, child predators, and gang members'.

DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals
DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals as published by Washington Examiner · seen at Washington Examiner
United States United States

The surge. DHS says ICE has started a "nationwide public safety surge in sanctuary cities". The Hill and the Washington Examiner both carry the announcement. Both rest on the same DHS post, so together they confirm what DHS announced. They do not show what is happening on the streets.

The dispute: who can be arrested.

Who What they say How we hold it
Several ICE officers, unnamed Told to arrest only people with criminal charges or convictions Second-hand: the Daily Wire, as cited by the Washington Examiner
DHS, in a post on X "This is false. No one is off the table." Quoted in full by the Washington Examiner
DHS, in the same post The surge targets "murderers, rapists, child predators, and gang members" Quoted by the Washington Examiner

One figure. The Washington Examiner says 70% of the roughly 65,000 people ICE held in July had no criminal conviction. It credits TRAC's analysis of court data. No other report we hold carries the figure.

Words. The Hill puts 'sanctuary' in quotation marks and calls the policy a "crackdown" in its own voice. The Examiner writes "illegal immigrants" in its own voice.

What is not settled - Whether officers were given a narrower instruction. The Examiner says "it is not clear why" they thought so. - Which cities the surge covers, and when it began. - How many people have been arrested, and whether they had criminal records. - No sanctuary-city official, detainee or lawyer is quoted in either report.

What this is about. The story turns on who federal immigration officers may arrest in cities that limit their cooperation with those officers.

How it got here. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the federal agency that detains and deports people who are in the country without legal status. It sits inside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was created after the attacks of 11 September 2001. For years, some cities, counties and states have limited how far their police and jails help ICE. A common example is declining to hold someone past their release date so that ICE can collect them. Supporters call these places "sanctuary" jurisdictions. Critics use the same word as a charge.

Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025. He promised to go after the most dangerous people living in the US illegally, and he launched what the Washington Examiner calls the nation's "largest-ever" deportation operation. In late 2024, Tom Homan, who became White House border czar, warned that ICE would make "collateral" arrests. Those are arrests of other people found without legal status when officers go looking for a particular person. The Examiner reports that ICE has had no Senate-confirmed director since the end of the Obama administration.

Who is involved. - DHS and ICE carry out the arrests and decide the priorities. - Sanctuary jurisdictions, run by state and local governments, limit their cooperation with ICE. - Immigrants without legal status, some with criminal records and many without, are the people who can be arrested.

What is at stake. If the surge covers only people with criminal records, most people without legal status in those cities are left alone. If "no one is off the table", anyone ICE encounters can be detained.

Where it stands. DHS has announced the surge and denied that it is limited to criminals. It has not said which cities are covered or how many people have been arrested.

What is being argued about

  • Whether ICE officers were told to arrest only people with criminal records
  • DHS: 'No one is off the table', and in the same post, a surge 'targeting criminal illegal aliens'
  • A TRAC figure: 70% of about 65,000 people held in July had no criminal conviction
  • 'Sanctuary' in quotation marks; 'crackdown' and 'illegal immigrants' written in the outlets' own voice
Who the surge targets, by sourceSide by side
SourceWhat it says about who is arrestedHow we hold it
ICE officers (unnamed), via the Daily WireOnly people with criminal charges or convictions. People ordered deported with no criminal history would not be arrested.Second-hand, as cited by the Washington Examiner
DHS post on X"No one is off the table. We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens that come into our path."Quoted directly by the Washington Examiner
DHS, same postThe surge is "targeting criminal illegal aliens" including "murderers, rapists, child predators, and gang members".Quoted directly by the Washington Examiner
TRAC analysis of court data70% of the roughly 65,000 people ICE held in July had no criminal conviction.Only in the Washington Examiner
The officers are unnamed, and we could not read the Daily Wire report ourselves. Their account comes only through the Washington Examiner.
Sources Washington Examiner
Right estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Washington Examiner → What we have measured Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1 from 3445 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
From the officers' account to the DHS denialTimeline
  1. 2026-09-26— no time published Daily Wire, citing ICE officers Reports that officers were told to arrest only people with criminal charges or convictionsReported by the Washington Examiner as coming a day before the DHS post
  2. 2026-09-27— no time published; 'late Saturday', per the Washington Examiner DHS Posts on X: 'This is false. No one is off the table.' It also announces a nationwide surge in sanctuary citiesQuoted by the Washington Examiner
  3. 2026-09-2811:50 UTC The Hill, publication time The Hill Reports the DHS announcement of a surge in 'sanctuary' cities
  4. 2026-09-2816:33 UTC Washington Examiner, publication time Washington Examiner Reports the DHS denial and adds the TRAC detention figure 70% of ~65,000 held in July had no conviction
Sources Washington Examiner
Right estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Washington Examiner → What we have measured Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1 from 3445 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Hill
Centre estimate · not a score
The Hill 🇺🇸US · digital · independent DHS announces nationwide surge in ‘sanctuary’ cities Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Hill → What we have measured Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1 from 4330 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias

Named department, unnamed officers, no migrants

The department speaks in its own words in both reports. The officers who described a narrower policy are unnamed, and their account is called a claim. No detained person or lawyer is quoted.

2 reports quoting the department 0 officers named 0 detainees or their lawyers quoted 1 reports with a detention figure
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources Washington Examiner
Right estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Washington Examiner → What we have measured Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1 from 3445 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The Hill
Centre estimate · not a score
The Hill 🇺🇸US · digital · independent DHS announces nationwide surge in ‘sanctuary’ cities Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Hill → What we have measured Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1 from 4330 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Claims and verdicts

disputed ICE officers were told to arrest only immigrants with criminal charges or convictions.
The Washington Examiner reports that the Daily Wire, citing several ICE officers, made this claim. The Examiner quotes DHS calling it 'false' and saying 'no one is off the table'.
Checked against 1 source:
Washington Examiner
Right estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Washington Examiner → What we have measured Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1 from 3445 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
true ICE has started a nationwide enforcement surge in sanctuary cities.
The Hill and the Washington Examiner both report the DHS announcement of the surge. Both rest on the same DHS statement, so they confirm that DHS announced it, not what is happening on the ground.
Checked against 2 sources:
The Hill
Centre estimate · not a score
The Hill 🇺🇸US · digital · independent DHS announces nationwide surge in ‘sanctuary’ cities Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Hill → What we have measured Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1 from 4330 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Washington Examiner
Right estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Washington Examiner → What we have measured Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1 from 3445 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified About 70% of the roughly 65,000 people ICE held in detention in July had no criminal conviction.
Only the Washington Examiner reports this figure, which it credits to TRAC's analysis of court data. No other report we hold carries the figure or contradicts it.
Checked against 1 source:
Washington Examiner
Right estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Washington Examiner → What we have measured Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1 from 3445 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →

Who wrote it

A Anna Giaritelli Washington Examiner
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted.×1
Asymmetric verb The officers 'claimed'; the department 'insisted' and 'wrote'×1
Figure with method Gives a count with its source named, and it cuts against the 'worst of the worst' framing×1
Figure with source Sets a sourced figure on detainees without convictions against the department's 'worst of the worst' framing×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 disputed1 unverified1 true
From 33 reports we hold under this byline, at Washington Examiner. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
S Sana Azem The Hill
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Attribution Attributes the surge to the department and quotes its phrase×1
Label in own voice 'Crackdown' is used in the report's own voice×1
Stated flat Calls the policy a 'crackdown' in its own voice×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
1 true
From 5 reports we hold under this byline, at The Hill. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting.

Coverage, outlet by outlet

Washington Examiner
Right estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent DHS rebuts report that ICE was told only to focus on criminals Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at Washington Examiner → What we have measured Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1 from 3445 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
The only report we hold that carries the full DHS post, the officers' account as the Daily Wire reported it, and TRAC's figure that 70% of detainees had no conviction.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied a report that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were recently instructed only to arrest illegal immigrants with criminal histories. The DHS insisted in a post to X over the weekend that federal immigration officers will arrest and detain illegal immigrants regardless of their criminal status, following a report that only the “worst of the worst” would be targeted nationwide. Recommended Stories District attorney reopens investigation into alleged gang rape at Cornell University Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy case had ‘a mountain o
Asymmetric verb: The officers 'claimed'; the department 'insisted' and 'wrote' — “a media report cited multiple ICE officers who claimed having been told only to arrest illegal immigrants with criminal charges or convictions”
Official voice length: The department is quoted at length. The officers are unnamed and paraphrased. — “No one is off the table. We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens that come into our path.”
Framing of dissent: The officers' account is cast as a misunderstanding — “It is not clear why some ICE officers were under a different impression.”
Figure with method: Gives a count with its source named, and it cuts against the 'worst of the worst' framing — “70% of the roughly 65,000 illegal immigrants detained by ICE awaiting deportation proceedings in court as of July did not have a criminal conviction”
Voice quoted: Quotes the department's post at length, twice over, and is the report's main voice — ““This is false,” the DHS wrote in a post late Saturday. “No one is off the table.”
Measure chosen: Uses 'illegal immigrants' in its own voice as well as in the quotes — “officers were recently instructed only to arrest illegal immigrants with criminal histories”
Figure with source: Sets a sourced figure on detainees without convictions against the department's 'worst of the worst' framing — “70% of the roughly 65,000 illegal immigrants detained by ICE awaiting deportation proceedings in court as of July did not have a criminal conviction”
Names the gap: States openly that the conflict between the officers' account and the department's is unexplained — “It is not clear why some ICE officers were under a different impression.”
Read it at Washington Examiner → https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/4744890/dhs-rebut…
The Hill
Centre estimate · not a score
The Hill 🇺🇸US · digital · independent DHS announces nationwide surge in ‘sanctuary’ cities Open this report in The AI Times → Read it at The Hill → What we have measured Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1 from 4330 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → — independent
A one-line report of the announcement. It puts 'sanctuary' in quotation marks and calls the policy a 'continuous crackdown'.
DHS said ICE has initiated a “surge in sanctuary cities,” as part of the Trump administration’s continuous crackdown on immigration.
Label in own voice: 'Crackdown' is used in the report's own voice — “as part of the Trump administration’s continuous crackdown on immigration”
Stated flat: Calls the policy a 'crackdown' in its own voice — “as part of the Trump administration’s continuous crackdown on immigration.”
Attribution: Attributes the surge to the department and quotes its phrase — “DHS said ICE has initiated a “surge in sanctuary cities,””
Read it at The Hill → https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/6114144-ice-ramps-up-sanct…
Checked, didn’t cover
Mother Jones
Left estimate · not a score
Mother Jones 🇺🇸US · magazine · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Asserted, not attributed 'ultra-gerrymandered' stated as fact ×1Asserted versus attributed 'Cover-up' is asserted in the report's own voice, not attributed ×1Asserted versus attributed calls it a cover-up in its own voice ×1Assertion vs attribution describes the operation as a 'violent occupation' in its own voice, with no source for the phrase ×1 from 365 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Reuters
Centre estimate · not a score
Reuters 🇺🇸US · wire · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Actor named The attacker is the subject of an active verb for both the deaths and the damage ×1Actor named No actor named for who cancelled the flights ×1Agreement stated flat, source in a tail attribution moved after the dash ×1Announcement written as settled A social-media post becomes a future indicative: the conversion will happen ×1 from 13380 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → N NPR
Centre estimate · not a score
NPR 🇺🇸US · public broadcaster · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Asserted, not attributed that the system wrongly flagged citizens is stated flat, with no source named for it ×1Asserted versus attributed public disbelief stated as established, with nothing cited that measured it ×1Asserted versus attributed Past threats of force are stated flat, as background ×1Asymmetric labelling one side tagged by its patron, the other not ×1 from 1145 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → P Politico
Centre estimate · not a score
Politico 🇺🇸US · digital · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times → T The Washington Post
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The Washington Post 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Accused's denial carried the only report carrying the Marine's side ×1Actor named via accusation the administration is named as acting, through the ranchers' charge; the price rise is stated flat ×1Asserted, not attributed a shift of power to Iran stated flat in the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the headline states as data what the body shows the chair selecting in a speech ×1 from 1237 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Fox News
Right estimate · not a score
Fox News 🇺🇸US · TV/radio · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Accused named Names one former fraternity member through his lawyer's denial. The woman is anonymous by her own choice. ×1Actor in headline The headline names Trump as the one acting. The body names only Anduril. ×1A number, with no people named The only report that gives a figure counts the journalists whose communications were swept up. It names none of them. ×1Asserted, not attributed stated flat: past court defeats are asserted with no case, judge or date named ×1 from 6448 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → Breitbart
Right estimate · not a score
Breitbart 🇺🇸US · digital · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Anyone hurt is counted, not named eight deaths given as a number only ×1Framing of motive The lede calls the denial a punishment and puts 'fake news' in quotation marks; the officials being sued are left unnamed ×1How the person shot is named a status, not a name: the only report that never uses either name calls him an illegal alien ×1How the place is described a party label attached to the city in the same clause as the casualty count ×1 from 3584 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → MSNBC
Left estimate · not a score
MSNBC 🇺🇸US · TV/radio · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Accuser not named The lede does not name the senator making the accusation ×1Actor named for the ban The White House is the subject of both verbs: it blocked journalists, then let CNN back in. ×1A first stated flat a never-before claim carried without a source attached ×1Asserted, not attributed absence of fraud evidence stated as fact ×1 from 1476 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → The New York Times
Centre-left estimate · not a score
The New York Times 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Active and passive voice the ship is 'targeted' with no actor, one sentence before a named actor is given for the Saudi attack ×1Active vs passive voice Pike is named as the killer in the active voice; the botched execution has no actor named ×1Actor label Names the shooter by its backer, not by its own name. ×1Actor named Names the official and what the process did to Pike. ×1 from 3870 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times → National Review
Centre-right estimate · not a score
National Review 🇺🇸US · magazine · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Asserted not attributed Doubt about the allegation is stated flat, in the outlet's own voice ×1Asserted not attributed An argument about deterrence is stated as fact ×1Asserted versus attributed calls it an abuse of power in its own voice ×1Asserted versus attributed 'Abuse of presidential power' is stated flat ×1 from 415 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
The Wall Street Journal
Centre-right estimate · not a score
The Wall Street Journal 🇺🇸US · newspaper · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Nothing scored yet. We do not carry a rating for any outlet — only what we have measured from published text. Outlet profile in The AI Times → Associated Press
Centre estimate · not a score
Associated Press 🇺🇸US · wire · independent No report held from this outlet on this story. What we have measured Dating and attribution Dates the signing to Aug. 6, 2026 and writes ord ×1Dating and attribution Carries a dateline correction, repeated three ti ×1How hard the claim is stated Marks "birth tourism" as the administration's ow ×1How hard the claim is stated high ×1 from 223 articles we hold · quote attached Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and it is not evidence of anything about this story.

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