One of the major clashes occurring between Republicans and Democrats is the debate surrounding immigration and deportation.
Of Republicans, 89% support increased deportations and 87% support an expanded border wall with Mexico. While Democrats also feel it should be a priority to reduce illegal immigration, they value a different approach. Democrats broadly favor policies that make it easier for immigrants to legally come to the U. S., according to a survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is used to facing the issue of illegal immigration. ICE was created in 2002, following the horrific terrorist attacks that took place on Sept. 11, 2001.
This organization has the power to stop, detain and arrest those that they suspect have entered the U.S. illegally. However since the beginning of the second Trump administration, there have been many instances where ICE has used their power in a harmful way.
ICE is a hateful organization that needs to be reformed.
In 2025 alone, there were over 170 incidents where ICE agents held American citizens against their will, according to ProPublica. There are videos across the media of ICE illegally entering people’s homes, using unnecessary force against individuals and killing civilians.
Recently, a mom of three, Renee Nicole Good, was fatally shot three times after attempting to flee from ICE agents who were surrounding her vehicle.
Once again, politics comes into play as individuals argue about the justification of the officers actions. Eye witnesses recorded the interaction between Good and the officers, and footage shows Nicole swerving her car away from the agent.
That is when Jonathan Ross, a retired veteran and ICE agent, opened fire on her.
The Trump administration released a statement that said, “I have just viewed the clip of the event which took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is a horrible thing to watch. The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense.”
This statement is outrageous. Multiple angles of the video show the officer was not in front of the car, and the car did not touch him. It was a complete abuse of power that is seen consistently by ICE agents. This unfortunate event cost this woman her life. Her wife is now a widow, and her three children have one less parent in their life.
ICE is meant to protect the U.S. and its citizens. It’s meant to target criminals in our country. Its goal should not be to harm unarmed civilians, rip families apart or target individuals who are actively working and seeking a better life.
As a second-generation immigrant, my heart aches for those whose lives have been ruined by the actions of ICE. My heart aches for those who live in fear each day, wondering if ICE is going to break into their house and harm them.
Most importantly, my heart aches for those who came here looking for a better life just to be treated as something less than a human.
ICE is not the way to combat illegal immigration. The program is a complete misuse of authority and an inhumane way to handle such an issue.
Rather than focusing on deportation, our president should focus on making it more attainable for individuals to come here legally. His horrible “solution” of separating families only further divides our country.
