- Rogan condemns ICE quota-driven deportations that target long-term, noncriminal residents instead of real criminal threats.
- Data cited show 73% of recent ICE detainees had no criminal conviction, raising concerns about sweeping enforcement tactics.
Joe Rogan, the influential podcaster who backed Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign, interviewed him on his show, and even attended the inauguration, is now openly questioning some of the administration’s immigration enforcement moves.
On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan highlighted what he sees as a problematic focus on quotas at ICE, leading to the deportation of people who’ve called America home for decades—many without any criminal history.
During his December 30, 2025, conversation with civil rights attorney Josh Dubin, Rogan drew a parallel to how police handle traffic tickets.
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“Think what’s going on with ICE is one of the things that’s going on with quotas for speeding tickets and things along those lines, is that they have numbers that they want to achieve,” he said.
“They’ve openly talked about this—they want to remove a certain amount of people per week. And when they do that, I think everything’s on the table.”
Rogan argued that this quota-driven mindset shifts priorities away from real threats.
“Then they start showing up at Home Depot instead of like looking for gangbangers and looking for criminals and cartel members,” he explained.
“They go to whatever’s easiest pickings so they can get numbers up.”
He brought up stories shared by Ed Calderon, a former Mexican law enforcement officer who often discusses border and cartel issues.
“He was telling me some horror stories about ICE raids,” Rogan noted.
Stories Drawing Scrutiny
One particularly striking example involved someone brought to the U.S. as an infant.
The man had lived here for 20 years, didn’t speak Spanish, had no criminal record, and was suddenly deported.
“They deport him, send him to Tijuana…he is essentially an American citizen,” Rogan said.
“He just never lived anywhere else. He just doesn’t have the paperwork. He’s not a criminal.”
These comments come as the Trump administration ramps up what it promised would be the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Officials like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and adviser Stephen Miller have reportedly pushed for ambitious targets, including rumors of 3,000 daily arrests.
While the White House insists the focus is on the “worst of the worst”—serious criminals and security risks—reports have emerged of nonviolent individuals and long-term residents getting swept up.
For example, 75% of ICE detainees have had no criminal background.
The numbers, first obtained by the libertarian Cato Institute and corroborated by multiple independent datasets, show that since the start of the fiscal year on October 1, a whopping 73 percent of people booked into ICE custody had no criminal conviction at all.
Nearly half of those detained—48 percent—didn’t even have pending charges on their records.
And get this: Only 5 percent involved individuals with a violent criminal conviction.
Rogan’s Criticisms Have Only Grown
Rogan’s frustration isn’t new. Despite his endorsement of Trump, he’s voiced concerns before about whether enforcement is truly zeroing in on dangerous people or just chasing metrics.
His platform reaches millions, many of whom supported Trump’s border security stance, so his pushback could resonate widely.
Trump’s campaign centered on tough immigration policies, vowing to reverse Biden-era approaches and deliver mass removals.
Since taking office, the administration has moved quickly: revoking protections for certain groups, expanding detention, and invoking older laws to speed up processes.But the scale has sparked debate.
Critics point to cases where people with deep ties to the U.S.—families, workers, contributors to communities—are affected.
Supporters argue it’s necessary to enforce laws and prioritize public safety.
Reports suggest ICE is under pressure to hit high numbers, which some say incentivizes going after accessible targets like day laborers rather than harder-to-find organized crime figures. This echoes Rogan’s quota concerns exactly.
Economic experts have weighed in too, warning that widespread deportations could disrupt industries reliant on immigrant labor, like construction, agriculture, and hospitality.
Families with mixed status—where kids are U.S. citizens but parents aren’t—face potential separations, adding a human layer to the policy fight.
Public opinion remains split.
Many Americans support deporting those here illegally, especially with criminal records, but there’s less enthusiasm for broad sweeps that catch non-criminals.
Rogan’s Evolving Stance
It’s worth noting that Rogan hasn’t turned against Trump’s overall immigration goals—he’s praised the idea of targeting actual threats like gangs and cartels.
His critique seems aimed at implementation: when quotas take over, the wrong people end up in the crosshairs.
This isn’t Rogan’s first time speaking out on the topic post-election.
He’s highlighted similar “horror stories” in past episodes, stressing that deporting folks raised in America feels off-base.
As enforcement continues, voices like Rogan’s—from inside the tent—might influence how the administration calibrates its approach.
For now, the raids go on, numbers climb, and stories of long-term residents facing removal keep surfacing.
In a polarized debate, Rogan’s take stands out because he’s not a usual critic.
He’s someone who helped boost Trump, now asking: Is this really hitting the mark?
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