Report Finds High Failure Rate In Federal Assault Cases Against ICE Critics
A new report says the Justice Department has lost or abandoned hundreds of federal assault cases brought against critics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement nationwide.[1]
The report counted 558 people charged under 18 U.S.C. 111 in immigration-related incidents and found 191 dismissals, 22 acquittals and only four convictions after trial.[1] Another 246 defendants pleaded guilty and 95 cases remain pending, the analysis said.[1]
Dozens of failed prosecutions included court records and video that showed federal agents initiating physical struggles or that defendants acted in self-defense.[1] In two cases judges found agents had destroyed or ordered deletion of evidence such as cellphone images, a finding the report says undercut the government's cases.[1]
The report says that overall pattern is far weaker than the Justice Department's usual combined conviction-and-plea rate of more than 90 percent, raising questions about charging decisions and evidence-handling in immigration-related prosecutions.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Of 558 people charged under 18 U.S.C. 111 in immigration-related incidents, 191 cases were dismissed and 22 ended in acquittal, while only four resulted in convictions after trial.
- Another 246 defendants pleaded guilty and 95 cases remain pending, a pattern the report says is weaker than DOJ's typical 90%-plus combined conviction and plea rate.
- In dozens of failed cases, court records and video indicated federal agents initiated physical struggles or that defendants acted in self-defense, and two judges found agents had destroyed or ordered deletion of evidence such as cellphone images.
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