ICE stands for Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers. From using tear gas to physical violence, such as choking or assaulting detainees in streets, protests, and immigration hearings, ICE’s deplorable actions connect to a larger issue that many Americans are beginning to realize: They are endangering communities. ICE is everywhere.
As ICE’s activities intensify, the public is speaking about the innocent individuals that these operations have targeted. These examples of force are not isolated incidents, but part of a much broader pattern, in which ICE officers have used tactics that go far beyond what is needed for immigration enforcement, that civil rights organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union have documented since 2017. Even though 2026 has just begun, multiple investigative reports found that ICE operations were resembling military-style actions in situations that involved unarmed civilians. Public outrage grew after several high profile incidents of ICE officers escalating tensions during encounters were shown on video. As these videos circulate online, lawmakers have grown increasingly concerned about how these operations are creating new dangers and not keeping people safe.
Two of the most alarming examples in which these operations have created such chaos involve Kaden Rummler in Santa Ana, California, where the twenty-one-year-old suffered permanent blindness in one eye after an ICE agent fired a projectile at close range during a peaceful demonstration. The incident occurred during a protest where witnesses have stated that the crowd was not acting violently during the shooting. They described how Rummler was only standing amongst the other protesters when an ICE officer raised a launcher and fired directly towards his face. Human Rights Watch later analyzed the incident as “fully preventable and inconsistent with any recognized protocol.” Legal experts pointed out that the launcher is designed to create distance between an officer and a threat and is not to be aimed at sensitive areas.
Another deadly incident occurred to Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident known to the Trump administration as a “domestic terrorist.” Her tragic death all came down to ICE firing two gunshots during an aerial operation. Federal officials claim it was an act of self-defense, stating that Good intended to use her vehicle to run over the ICE agents. However, videos of the incident indicate the opposite In a cited statement, Human Rights Watch reported the footage “does not support claims that Good attempted to strike agents with her vehicle” and that the situation escalated within seconds of officers surrounding her car. Eyewitnesses near the scene noted that the situation looked chaotic and confusing, raising questions as to why the confrontation quickly escalated.
Throughout the weeks following Good’s death, protests demanding accountability and more limits on ICE’s authority emerged across Minneapolis, receiving national attention through social media and television. This extensive coverage has fueled the national conversation surrounding the authority that the national government has over civilians. People like Zoey Swanson (10) believe that the government should respond to this conversation with stricter laws: “Without strict rules and regulations and without fear of prosecution … ICE [does] whatever they want without consequences.” Marches and gatherings highlight a growing belief that ICE’s tactics undermine safety and public trust, and this sentiment is also conveyed in the minds of people like Swanson. This heavy public pressure to ensure that ICE follows the law even reached the courts, where a federal judge issued temporary restrictions on the use of force against protestors in Minnesota.
The ruling, and the repercussions of these incidents, emphasize that federal power must be exercised with caution when directed towards civilians. Because of ICE’s grotesque interactions with innocent citizens, many have asserted that they do more harm than good for American communities. This organization’s actions have indeed stimulated fierce backlash against the federal government, which is reflective of the dark times that this nation is currently undergoing.
