Authors: Aune Kinugasa, Mialeene Jahnke
Amid ongoing political tensions in the United States, a previously lesser-known federal agency has stepped into the light: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, notably known as ICE. In recent months, ICE has drawn widespread attention as debates over immigration policy increasingly focus on how the agency balances enforcement with civil liberties and public safety. High-profile enforcement actions, including confrontational operations and use-of-force incidents, have amplified public investigations of its practices and role in society. Today, ICE has triggered an uproar of political debates, protests, and social media discussions across the country. The agency is responsible for enforcing federal immigration and customs laws and has significantly expanded its operations amid increased federal funding and staffing.
What is ICE?
ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States of America. This agency is responsible for enforcing federal laws related to immigration, customs, and trade. From recent visibility on social media and in news coverage, many understand ICE’s main objective is to ensure protection of national security and public safety against cross-border crime and illegal immigration. (1)
ICE agents have the capability to stop, detain and arrest people whom they suspect of being in the U.S. illegally. They are mainly situated inside the U.S. with 400 offices and approximately 20,000 law enforcement personnel, along with overseas staff who assist with foreign law enforcement, investigations on crimes, and issues related to deportations and transnational criminal networks. ICE has mobilised large teams of agents and officers to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis. These teams aim to locate undocumented immigrants, investigate alleged fraud, and enforce immigration laws in areas with large immigrant populations, meaning they are not solely focused on one region (such as the U.S. border) but rather disperse to major cities to carry out their work more efficiently. (2, 3, 4)
ICE was formed as part of the Homeland Security Act in 2002, in which it began operations in March 2003 in response to the 9/11 tragedy as part of a massive federal reorganization. This reorganization sought to improve the identification and counteraction to national security threats, along with forming a single agency specializing in immigration enforcement. (5)
The Mission
ICE’s mission, according to their website, is to “protect America through criminal investigations and enforce immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety.” Their method of achieving this goal is through Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), which uses the step-by-step process of Identify and Arrest, Detain, and Remove. Much of the success of this process relies on individual jurisdictions; many state and local jurisdictions choose not to cooperate with ERO, in these cases, local law-enforcement agencies are not legally obligated to honour ICE immigration detainers. (12)
ICE is viewed differently by Republican and Democratic Americans. Depending on the news you read, ICE may be a light at the end of a dangerous, crime-riddled tunnel or, contrarily, a reckless organisation that has become overconfident and excessively violent. This great contrast of views stems from the root beliefs of either political side. The Republican party has long pushed for border security and the deportation of illegal immigrants, while Democrats are more focused on creating easier paths for immigrants to become legal. Despite differing views, many Republicans are now calling out the Trump administration for implementing ICE to carry out immigration enforcement. Due to recent controversies, many have come to the consensus that if there is a correct way to enforce immigration laws, it certainly is not through ICE. (13, 14)
Recent Controversies
Under President Trump’s second term, the expansive deportation efforts as part of immigration enforcement have grown increasingly aggressive, leading to violent encounters with both immigrants and U.S. citizens. The fatal shootings of Renée Good, Alex Pretti, and nine others by federal agents have sparked controversy and protests throughout the U.S. (6, 7)
Renée Good
Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of 3, was shot three times and grazed a fourth time by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7th, 2026. An autopsy ordered by family members revealed that she was shot directly in the head. Federal officials announced that the officer fired because he presumed that the victim’s car was heading towards agents, acting as a fatal threat. However, many independent accounts on social media argue against this, supported by videos taken by witnesses; Renée was attempting to drive away, not towards the agents. (8, 9, 10)
In response to Renée Good’s death, multiple protests have erupted throughout the U.S. As of now, there have been at least 36 arrests, most of which took place in Minneapolis. Protests have further increased by the killing of Alex Pretti. (11)
Alex Pretti
Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old man shot and killed by two Customs and Border Protection officers on January 24th, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A report conducted by the Department of Homeland Security states that Pretti approached CBP officers with a 9mm semi-automatic gun with intent to cause “maximum damage” to law enforcement officers. Video evidence showed Pretti holding a phone, recording ICE agents. It is still unclear whether DHS’ claim was true, as video suggests an officer retracting a gun from the ground before Pretti was beaten and shot to death. This death has only added fuel to the fire that is current U.S. politics under the Trump administration. (15, 16)
The accumulation of these events has placed the Department of Homeland Security at the centre of profound unrest in the current political climate. ICE agents continue to draw the attention of millions of people, creating a tense environment of fear that extends beyond the immigrant community in the United States. The deaths of Renée Good, Alex Pretti, and many others have led to a national outcry over federal overreach. Despite the Trump administration’s belief in aggressive tactics, the future of immigration enforcement is in the hands of public scrutiny. 2026 has just begun and it is no longer a question of how the U.S. will enforce its borders, but whether it can do so without compromising the democratic values ICE was created to protect.
