Bari Weiss Promotes New CBS Reporting Disputing Trump Boast: ‘Is Trump Really Deporting the Worst of the Worst?’

LEFT: Bari Weiss (Sipa via AP Images) RIGHT: Donald Trump (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss touted new reporting from CBS News on Monday that disputed President Donald Trump’s claim that his administration is focused on removing “the worst” illegal immigrants from the United States.

“Is Trump really deporting the worst of the worst?” asked Weiss on X before directing her followers to a story written by CBS News immigration correspondent Camilo Montoya-Galvez.

“Less than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Trump’s first year back in the White House had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses, according to an internal Department of Homeland Security document obtained by CBS News,” noted Montoya-Galvez in his lede.

“The statistics show ICE has dramatically increased arrests since Mr. Trump’s return to office. Nearly 60% of ICE arrestees over the past year had criminal charges or convictions, the document indicates. But among that population, the majority of the criminal charges or convictions are not for violent crimes,” he continued. “For example, while Mr. Trump and his aides often talk about immigration officials targeting murderers, rapists and gangsters, the internal data indicate that less than 2% of those arrested by ICE over the past year had homicide or sexual assault charges or convictions. Another 2% of those taken into ICE custody were accused of being gang members.”

Of those arrested by ICE between January 21, 2025 and January 31, 2026, only half a percent had been accused or convicted of homicide. The figures were similarly low for robbery (.7%), sexual assault (1.4%), and weapons offenses (1.6%), but were notably higher for dangerous drugs (5.7%), DWI/DUI (7.6%), and assault (10.9%). “All other crimes” accounted for 30.1%, while 39.8% of those taken into custody were accused only of civil immigration offenses.

The Trump administration has disputed CBS’s characterization of the DHS document obtained by Montoya-Galvez.

“Drug trafficking, Distribution of child pornography, burglary, fraud, DUI, embezzlement, solicitation of a minor, human smuggling are all categorized as ‘non violent crimes,'” noted Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’s assistant secretary for public affairs in a rejoinder to Weiss. “Like we said, ~70% of those illegal aliens arrested under @POTUS Trump and @Sec_Noem have pending criminal charges or prior convictions.”

“Fake News,” asserted the White House’s rapid response account on X. “Here’s a few crimes categorized as ‘non-violent’: Drug trafficking, human smuggling, child porn, fraud, DUI, burglary, etc. The article even admits 60% “had criminal charges or convictions (though it’s actually ~70%). They’re CRIMINALS and they’re NOT welcome here.”

“The Fake News seems to think that illegal alien drug traffickers, drunk drivers, burglars, and those with weapons charges—whom they classify as ‘nonviolent’ offenders—should be left alone, allowed to roam freely within the United States,” it added in a follow-up post. “Not under this administration.”

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