# ICE Told to Stop Arresting Non-Criminals, Then Reversed—Why?

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/ice-told-to-stop-arresting-non-criminals-then-reversedwhy
- Published: 2026-09-29T07:03:03.348991+00:00
- Topics: immigration, ice, dhs, trump-administration, deportation

## What the left says
- The brief pause, however short-lived, exposes that ICE's enforcement priorities are set by shifting internal directives rather than transparent, consistent policy, raising questions about how decisions affecting families are actually made.
- The rapid reversal suggests political pressure, not careful policy deliberation, drove the final outcome, with the administration prioritizing an appearance of toughness over any consideration of easing arrests of non-criminal immigrants.
- Confusion at the agency level shows real people, including collaterals encountered incidentally during operations, face arrest based on garbled guidance rather than deliberate, well-communicated policy.
- The episode highlights that mass arrests continue to sweep up longtime residents with no criminal history, undermining claims that enforcement is narrowly targeted at dangerous criminals.

## What the right says
- The reversal confirms the administration's commitment to comprehensive immigration enforcement remains intact, with no retreat from arresting anyone in the country illegally.
- The original guidance was an internal miscommunication, not a policy shift, and was corrected within hours once it reached senior officials, showing the system self-corrected quickly.
- Trump personally reaffirmed that all illegal immigrants remain subject to arrest and deportation, demonstrating the enforcement agenda has not softened despite bureaucratic confusion.
- ICE's continued targeting of criminal aliens in sanctuary cities, including violent offenders released by local officials, remains the clear operational priority alongside broader enforcement.

## Common ground
- Verbal guidance instructing ICE field offices to prioritize 'worst first' arrests did circulate nationwide over the weekend.
- ICE agents who received the guidance described being surprised and frustrated by it.
- DHS and the White House both confirmed the episode stemmed from miscommunication rather than an intended formal policy change.
- New guidance was issued within hours reaffirming that arrests of illegal immigrants without criminal records, including collaterals, would continue.

## Sources
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-09-28-0700/immigration-exclusive-ice-officers-say-they-were-told-stop-arresting-non-criminals-0) (Center)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-09-28-0700/immigration-dhs-denies-change-ice-strategy-no-one-table) (Center)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-09-28-0700/immigration-dhs-says-no-one-table-following-rumors-ice-wont-arrest-non-criminals) (Center)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-09-28-0700/immigration-exclusive-ice-officers-say-they-were-told-stop-arresting-non-criminals) (Center)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-backtracks-after-telling-ice-officers-to-stop-arresting-non-criminals) (Right)
- [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-reaffirms-ice-arrest-policy-confusing-guidance-sparks-alarm-agents) (Right)
- [Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion](https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/09/dhs-denies-ice-arrest-order-then-trump-reverses-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dhs-denies-ice-arrest-order-then-trump-reverses-it) (Unknown)

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