Max Stephanou
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was formed in 2003 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. In theory, ICE aimed to maintain national safety and security, removing undocumented immigrants considered a danger to these ideals. In practice, ICE has deported people who show no threat to the nation; their only crime is their immigration status. The government agency’s brutality reached new heights this year, with eight people dying in dealings with federal agents, three of whom were directly killed by ICE. Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were both American citizens killed in Minneapolis, prompting public outrage. However, the deaths of six other people at the hands of ICE have mostly been overlooked. Nevertheless, the agency has proven to be a threat to everyone in the United States, regardless of race or immigration status, and an alarming development in American political violence under President Trump.
President Obama was so notorious for abusing this power, he was dubbed ‘deporter-in-chief’ by immigrant-rights activists.
Due to post-9/11 concerns of national security, Congress passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002, establishing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to ICE’s own website, its role within DHS was to conduct Enforcement and Removal Operations, which “target public safety threats, such as convicted criminal undocumented aliens and gang members”. However, ICE’s power has since been used to deport any undocumented immigrant, reaching its peak under the Obama administration. During his presidency, over 2.7 million people were deported. President Obama was so notorious for abusing this power that he was dubbed ‘deporter-in-chief’ by immigrant-rights activists.
During President Trump’s 2016 campaign, he promised to increase the number of deportations conducted by ICE. While the numbers never reached the heights seen under Obama, Trump greatly expanded the power and size of the government agency almost immediately. Since then, individual officers have the agency to decide whether an immigrant was a threat or not without verification. A controversial policy was introduced in 2017, which saw migrant children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border when being detained, showcasing the hardline approach the president and his immigration agency utilise. However, after widespread criticism, this was reverted.
Cato Institute says “employment-based immigration is largely impossible for most aspiring immigrants”, forcing people to resort to illegal methods.
It must be stressed that support for ICE is not restricted to the Trump administration. According to Human Rights Watch, President Biden provided ‘historically high funding’ to ICE, suggesting a larger issue of the perception of immigration in the United States. Cato Institute says “employment-based immigration is largely impossible for most aspiring immigrants”, forcing people to resort to illegal methods. A more lenient policy regarding immigration will solve this issue. However, American governments under both parties continue to show support for harsh and unconventional reactions to illegal immigration, leaving communities in disarray. It is unsurprising, therefore, to hear calls for the abolition of ICE altogether.
Trump’s second term has seen presidential support for more aggressive action by ICE. With an uptick of raids, arrests and deportations, the American people have reacted with fierce opposition. In June 2025, anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles escalated when Donald Trump deployed the National Guard into the city. Violent confrontations saw rubber bullets fired at the people of LA, and the use of fireworks against law enforcement. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, responded to the events in LA, writing, “This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalise the National Guard.” After a curfew enforced by the mayor and over 500 arrests, the protests were suppressed, and ICE operations continue to plague Los Angeles, leaving a city growing increasingly divided.
An agency aimed to target undocumented immigrants has found itself killing its own people.
The most recent escalation in violent ICE interactions occurred last month. Two American citizens were killed by ICE agents during ‘Operation Metro Surge’, aimed at targeting illegal immigration in Minneapolis and expanding to the rest of Minnesota later. The first being Renee Good, who was fatally shot on 7 January. While Vice President JD Vance claims the ICE agent was acting in self-defence, some lawyers question the legitimacy of this claim. On 24 January, Alex Pretti was also killed by ICE agents. Pretti was shot at least ten times after officers mistook his phone for a gun. Videos of both incidents surfaced online; the brutality of the government agency is on full display. An agency aimed at targeting undocumented immigrants has found itself killing its own people. Regardless of immigration status, the American people at large are affected by ICE and its operations.
While these incidents received worldwide attention and nationwide protest, Good and Pretti are not the only deaths ICE is responsible for in 2026. ICE killed Geraldo Lunas Campos while in custody in El Paso. Initially, DHS claimed staff tried to save Lunas as he attempted suicide; however, a witness says he was handcuffed and choked until unconsciousness, which later killed him. 11 days later, Victor Manuel Diaz died in the same detention centre. While ICE claims Diaz’s death was a suicide, it remains under investigation, and ICE has proven not to take accountability on several occasions. Parady La, Luis Beltrán Yáñez–Cruz and Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres all died in custody from health issues. Núñez’s brother argues “his life was cut short due to the lack of proper medical care while he was in ICE custody.”
The media have largely overlooked these victims as they were in ICE custody at the time of their deaths. However, their immigration status should not change the value of their life. US immigration policy is a deadly approach to illegal immigration, and this is not a new concern. 2025 saw thirty-two deaths in ICE custody, and this year is only adding to these numbers. The murders of Good and Pretti have highlighted ICE’s malice, but Trump won’t give up. The president and his officials have consistently justified the violence of immigration officers and continue to fund the agency.
Regular citizens are given authority without measures to prevent them from abusing it.
Alarmingly, The Independent reported an AI error allowed many agents “to be sent straight to field offices without proper training”, suggesting the root of ICE violence is the insufficient training of its staff. Regular citizens are given authority without measures to prevent them from abusing it. Furthermore, ICE employment attracts a certain demographic who see violence as the answer to politics. Whether ICE needs major reform or total abolition, changes need to be made.
The events of January 2026 indicate a larger trend of political violence under the Trump administration. The United States is growing more polarised and, in consequence, scared. With the president fuelling an ‘us vs them’ mentality within US politics, his administration has been characterised by conflict and hatred. The assassination of Charlie Kirk and Brian Thompson, along with the aggression of ICE, paints a concerning picture of a growing divide in Trump’s America. Unity has been forgotten, and fear has taken control.
Max Stephanou
Featured image courtesy of Miko Guziuk via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
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