United States: the ICE escalation amid repression and civil protests

During the last few weeks, the world witnessed the violence of ICE, a U.S federal agency. The frequency, intensity and methods used during these episodes of violence caused huge civil protests. This reflects the broader pattern of control exerted by the Trump administration as it intensifies its crackdown on immigration.

Minneapolis, the center of the crisis

The 7th of January 2026, Renée Nicole Good was killed with a shotgun by one of the ICE agents while she was trying to drive away. Renée was involved in a voluntary civil initiative to control ICE actions.

Two weeks after, in Minneapolis, ICE took into custody a 5 years old child, Liam Ramos, and used him as a bait to arrest his father. The photos of this episode went viral. 

The last episode that shocked the American community was the killing of Alex Pretti: the nurse was killed by two policemen of the Border Patrol during a peaceful protest against ICE.

Each episode took place in Minneapolis, one of the biggest cities of Minnesota, in the region of Midwest. This is not a coincidence: Trump targeted the state of Minnesota because of its democratic government and the growth of ethnic minorities, in particular the Somali one. One of the main Trump opponents is Ilhan Omar, Somali, democratic and one of the first Muslim women elected as a member of the Parliament. 

Another emblematic episode of violence that took place in Minneapolis was the murder of George Floyd in 2020, killed by a policeman. His death starts the movement Black Lives Matter against the police brutality that targets in particular the African American community.

ICE and its fight against migration

But do we know which is the role of ICE and the Border Patrol? Both are federal agencies and part of the Department of Homeland Security, which was founded after the Twin Towers attack. The role of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is countering terrorism and making people respect immigration laws. On the other hand, the Border Patrol, was born to control the borders and to counter smuggling and illegal entries and traffics.

ICE is not a traditional police force: illegal immigrants are the main target and they can be arrested by the agency. American citizens, instead, can be detained only if they resist arrest, attack the agents or if they are suspected of being illegal immigrants.

Trump integrated agents from other federal agencies into ICE. Moreover, the Border Patrol partnered with ICE, even if it shouldn’t.

During the first 9 months of the Trump presidency, ICE held about 170 American citizens on charges of entering the U.S. illegally. The government expulsed 605.000 people between January and December 2025. Moreover, about 1.9 million immigrants voluntarily left the Country fearing detention.

The 30^th of November 2025, 65.000 people were held in custody by ICE.

The normalization of violence

Neverthless, the methods used by ICE are extremely violent: thousands of people took to the streets to peacefully protest/complain against the actions of the federal agency. A team of volunteers started monitoring their actions and people made a habit of filming when ICE is present.

The murder of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti: both were involved in protests against ICE. Their deaths spark a further public backlash, not only in Minnesota, but in all of the biggest American cities. Besides them, at least five more people were killed with a gunshot by ICE agents from the beginning of the Trump presidency.

Another significant event is the one that involves a 5 years old child: his father is not an illegal immigrant, because he applied for political asylum and the bureaucratic process was moving forward as planned. Now they are both being held in a detention center in Dilley, Texas: the South Texas Family Residential Center, which is the only remaining detention center for migrant families that saw a resurgence under the Trump administration.

Furthermore, some lawyers who represented people held in these detention centers denounced the critical conditions they lived in: they lacked access to potable water and were denied timely medical care. To make matters worse, even children were detained, in violation of a 1997 agreement, the Flores Settlement Agreement, which states that their release should be a priority for authorities.

This is not an isolated incident. In January, ICE apprehended three other children heading to school in Liam Ramos's district. Such actions have instilled a climate of fear across the community, with many parents now fearing to take their children to school

This whole situation gives us pause regarding the increasing violence that is affecting American society and how the government is attempting to justify it. For example, the White House's account of the events conflicts with eyewitness reports: Alex Pretti is alleged to have been armed and has been described as violent. Liam Ramos’s detention has been described as unavoidable after his mother refused to take him with her, leaving him instead with his father. Both versions of events, however, have been refuted.

Nearly all targeted individuals and victims stand in opposition to the government. For this reason the White House is using ICE to exert control, building up its power and eroding day after day citizens’ freedom. consolidating its power and eroding citizens’ freedoms day after day.

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