If you don’t understand why people are protesting ICE, read this…
“A protestor holding a sign about Anne Frank” by UnknownWhale17, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The history of ICE
ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was formed from remnants of the old INS to handle immigration enforcement and deportations — part of the broader War on Terror framework. ICE was created in 2003 in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which was an event where Islamophobia and deep, radicalized fear were on the rise. While it was formed to target national security threats, it quickly became a way for the government to racially and religiously profile many groups. This normalized aggressive enforcement tactics, which led to ICE’s expanded power. They later began to shift their focus to undocumented immigrants from Latin America — especially in states with high Latino populations such as California, Texas, Florida, Illinois, and New York. ICE began conducting warrantless raids, detaining people at homes, schools, hospitals, and separating entire families with little due process. It must be acknowledged that these actions weren’t random; they were the product of systemic racial bias and a political climate that criminalized Latino identity due to certain media portraying Latinos, undocumented or not, as dangerous. The abuse was justified as “immigration control.” This devastated millions of families. Many were people who had lived in the U.S. their whole lives and were deported to a country they’d never been to before, without knowing the language. ICE was meant to be an organization that justly combated terrorist attacks, but it turned into a group that is feared by millions and known for abusing its power.
How Trump successfully fear mongered people into fearing immigrants
During the 2024 election cycle, Trump made immigration the center of his campaign. He promised to deport tens of millions of undocumented immigrants, completely ignoring how this would devastate the economy in unrecoverable ways. He ran ads portraying these people as “violent” or “dangerous” by cherry-picking certain clips. He even went as far as to say that Haitian immigrants were eating dogs and cats, which is a dangerous and disgusting lie that led to an increase in anti-Haitian hate crimes. These were deliberate and calculated strategies he used to scapegoat an entire population. He blamed them for the economy and the “rise” in crime, when in reality, the economy was strongly recovering from the economic mess that he left, and crime — specifically murder — was dropping at an unprecedented rate after Trump left office with a record-high murder rate. He instilled fear and brainwashed his followers. This led to his strong victory in the 2024 election. Under Trump, ICE was emboldened. Arrests of undocumented immigrants with no criminal record surged, family separations at the border became federal policy, and raids in cities with high Latino populations, such as LA, spiked. He completely dehumanized an entire population. He didn’t portray them as regular people with dreams and ambitions; he portrayed them as “invaders.” He even went as far as to say that they are “poisoning our blood.” Cruelty began to become normalized, with the official White House Twitter/X account posting “deportation ASMR,” treating humans as if they were animals. Meanwhile, the actual criminal is the man currently in office — but that’s a long discussion for another day.
Why people are protesting now
Since Trump has taken office, daily detention rates have surged over 40%. As of June, over 50,000 people have been detained by ICE — an increase of over 30% — and roughly half have no criminal record. Now take a moment to visualize that. Fifty thousand people have been ripped apart from their families. Fathers and mothers are no longer with their children. Children have been left behind — terrified, confused, and worried. Many Latino families now live in fear, knowing they can be taken away at any time, without having committed a single crime in their lives. This dramatic shift is the backbone of the protests you’re seeing today. Hundreds of thousands have come together to demonstrate in cities like New York, LA, Chicago, and San Francisco. They are calling out the blatant injustice we’re witnessing. In response, thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed. The streets have filled not only with protestors, but also with tear gas, pepper spray, and flashbangs. There is even a video of an Australian news reporter being shot in the leg by a National Guard member for no apparent reason. You don’t ever see this kind of response when a school shooting happens, though. Our current administration cares more about peaceful protests than it does about children dying in classrooms. Let that sink in.
What this all means
These protests aren’t just about ICE — they are about what it means to be an American. These protestors are defending liberty, dignity, and the right to exist without fear — the very values this country was founded on. These protests are a reminder that freedom must be fought for if it is to be preserved for future generations. Above all, this is a moment that calls on us to care — to be empathetic. Please don’t let propaganda fool you. These are real people with emotions, families, loved ones, dreams, ambitions, and jobs. They are here to chase the American Dream, just like the rest of us. If you’ve learned anything from this, I hope it’s to view all people — no matter their background, religion, sexual orientation, or immigration status — as human beings. And I hope you choose to live each day with empathy, respect, and an open heart.
