United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security, created with the intention of removing undocumented immigrants or people who have violated immigration laws. There have been many occurrences where ICE has used unnecessary force and cruel treatment towards American citizens, such as physical brutality and misconduct.
Immigrants have been targeted due to assumptions made from racial profiling. ICE agents have been known for wrongfully leaping to the conclusion that these people are criminals because of their appearance. For example, Francisco Gonzalez-Jasso was deported by immigration agents who claimed to be clearing “violent criminals” from Chicago streets. There is no evidence of him having a criminal record or any gang affiliations. Gonzalez-Jasso’s unjustified arrest is one of numerous throughout the country. Therefore, the problem with ICE is that prejudice has caused human rights to be at risk.
ICE agents have used excessive violence, such as breaking car windows and pushing detainees to the ground. This violence has progressed into fatal shootings. Renée Good, a US citizen, was fatally shot by an ICE Agent, Jonathan Ross, Jan. 7. Another instance was when Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old victim, was shot and killed Jan. 24, less than two weeks after Good’s death. He was also a US citizen.
While some ICE agents, such as Ross, have been charged for their crimes, most ICE agents have not been held accountable for their ac- tions. ICE does not require judicial warrants to arrest people, leading to them entering homes unexpectedly. That being said, people who have experienced ICE unexpectedly detaining them have faced trauma, especially their children. ICE agents detained Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old boy, and his father, Adrián Conejo Arias Jan. 20 as they were walking home from Ramos’ school in Minneapolis. They were held in an Immigration Processing Center in Texas until Feb. 1, when they were released and sent back to Minneapolis. Their release was influenced by the protests of many Americans who demanded Ramos and Arias be returned to their home.
Additionally, these people who ICE have detained are being held in inhumane conditions. ICE detention centers have been reported as overcrowded, dangerous, and unsanitary. As of March 2026, at least 35 detainees have died under custody of ICE from the conditions of these detention centers and medical neglect in the past year. When people have requested to tour these facilities, they have been denied access. This shows how those involved are aware that what they are doing is wrong.
ICE is not about safety; it is about control. ICE is causing much more harm than good, and the Trump administration’s funding of ICE is unwarranted. Money that could be spent on making improvements has been wasted on promoting violence and division in the country. The ensuing chaos caused by ICE needs to end immediately. To combat the issues imposed by ICE, Americans need to be more educated on these issues, and elected officials should be held accountable to the same extent as those carrying out these violent actions.
