The New Normal of ICE Violence
We’re all watching something dangerous take shape in real time. ICE is no longer acting like a federal law enforcement agency that has to follow professional rules or answer to the public. It’s behaving like a force that’s been given a green light to escalate, intimidate, and use violence with few consequences. There used to be a few scattered incidents. Not anymore. For years, ICE claimed its mission was simply to enforce immigration law. But under Trump’s second term, the agency has become a new creature. It’s more militarized, more confrontational, and disturbingly willing to use force against civilians in ways that once would have been unthinkable. This is what happens when an administration cheers on an agency’s worst instincts, especially an agency that was already committed to maximum enforcement. The result is an America where federal agents are shooting civilians at traffic stops, firing riot guns into peaceful crowds, and patrolling neighborhoods in a way that feels less like law enforcement and a lot more like an occupation. If we don’t confront this situation now, the violence we’re seeing will only become worse.
Trump Didn’t Radicalize ICE – He Unleashed It
To understand just how dangerous this moment is, you have to see how we got here. ICE has always operated with a worldview that sees immigration enforcement as a moral crusade. The agency’s culture has long been defined by massive raids, mass detention, and a resistance to using any kind of discretion. It has fought reforms, pushed back against oversight, and promoted a nationalist vision of who really “belongs” in America. So, Trump didn’t need to persuade ICE to embrace his philosophy; his worldview was already a perfect match to theirs. However, he did give them political validation, public praise, and a free hand to do whatever they wanted. This was something no president had ever done before. He held up ICE officers as heroes, let the ICE union dictate policy, and ballooned the agency’s budget and authority, all while tearing down the guardrails that once limited its power. He promoted leaders who were aggressive and sidelined anyone who disagreed. The message to ICE couldn’t have been clearer: do more, go further, don’t hold back. And ICE listened.
A Militarized, Unrestrained, Public‑Facing ICE
Since early 2025, ICE has been operating with fewer internal checks, a much longer leash, and intense pressure to hit arrest and deportation quotas. You can literally see the agency’s transformation from its previous version. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” tripled ICE’s budget from $8.7 billion to $27.7 billion, a budget larger than the annual military spending of most countries on Earth. That money funded an explosion in detention capacity, brought in the National Guard to back up ICE operations, and created fast-track deportations. It paid for third-country transit bans, the mandatory prosecution of anyone crossing the border, and raids on schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Asylum has been effectively shut down, children have been zip-tied during raids, and immigrants have been deported directly to prisons in El Salvador and other countries. ICE is now operating with a level of force and visibility that would have been politically unthinkable just a decade ago.
The agency’s tactics have also changed. CNN has reported on a “new normal” where ICE agents clad in tactical gear swarm city streets, running operations designed as much to intimidate the public as to enforce the law. DHS social media is now a nonstop propaganda machine, urging people to “recapture America” by joining ICE. The agency has gone a long way beyond just enforcing policy. And the rhetoric from the top is far from subtle. Trump calls protesters “professional agitators,” and DHS officials call peaceful crowds “violent rioters.” Republican lawmakers, always out there with their support of the Trump administration, say civilians shot by ICE “should have complied.” The message they give to ICE agents is that the aggressive use of force isn’t only acceptable. It’s expected.
| Eight Incidents That Demonstrate the New Face of ICE Violence |
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| The killing of Renee Good (Minneapolis) Renee Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross during an encounter in Minneapolis, becoming the most politically explosive case of Trump’s second term. Within hours, DHS publicly labeled her a “violent rioter,” framing the shooting as justified before any investigation had begun. |
| Pastor David Black shot in the head with a pepper ball (Chicago) Pastor David Black was praying outside the Broadview ICE facility when a federal agent fired a pepper‑ball projectile that struck him in the head. The incident was captured on video and widely condemned by faith leaders and civil‑rights groups. DHS later claimed there were no peaceful protesters present, contradicting the footage and eyewitness accounts. |
| Chicago woman shot five times in the face; agent bragged afterward During a protest in Chicago, a federal agent shot a woman five times in the face with riot‑control projectiles at close range. Court filings later revealed that the agent bragged about the shooting in text messages, writing, “Put that in your book boys.” This case has become a symbol of the cruelty and impunity that now define many ICE operations. |
| Silverio Villegas González killed in a Chicago suburb Silverio Villegas González was fatally shot during a traffic stop in Franklin Park after DHS claimed he drove his vehicle toward agents. Witnesses and subsequent reporting raised serious doubts about whether he posed any threat at all. His death became one of the earliest indicators of a broader pattern of escalating force. |
| Portland traffic stop shooting Two civilians were shot during a traffic stop in Portland after federal agents claimed the driver attempted to ram their vehicle. The incident shocked city officials and prompted Portland’s mayor to call for ICE to halt operations entirely. It became one of the clearest examples of how routine encounters were turning violent under the new enforcement climate. |
| Los Angeles shooting of Carlitos Ricardo Parias TikTok streamer Carlitos Ricardo Parias was shot in the elbow during an ICE arrest in Los Angeles, an encounter that was later scrutinized in court. A judge ultimately dismissed the charges against him, citing due‑process violations and inconsistencies in the government’s account. The case raised broader questions about ICE’s conduct and credibility. |
| Agents following residents through neighborhoods (Minnesota) Residents in Minnesota reported ICE and Border Patrol agents slowly driving through neighborhoods, following individuals, and parking outside homes. These encounters were not tied to specific enforcement actions and appeared designed to intimidate. The behavior signals a shift from targeted operations to broad, community‑level surveillance. |
| DHS restricting congressional oversight of detention facilities DHS secretly reimposed a seven‑day notice requirement for congressional visits to ICE facilities, despite a federal court order striking down the policy. The move effectively blocked Minnesota lawmakers from inspecting the Whipple facility after the killing of Renee Good. It marked a structural turn toward secrecy and impunity at the federal level. |
The Violence: A Documented Surge
The escalation is happening on our streets and in cities across the country, at a rate that should alarm anyone who believes in a free society. Investigations have confirmed at least sixteen shooting incidents by federal immigration agents since Trump returned to office, leaving at least four people dead and seven wounded. Dozens more have been held at gunpoint. Riot control weapons have been fired at peaceful protesters. In text messages, agents have bragged about their actions.
Some of the most disturbing cases are shootings that happened during arrests. The killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis is the most widely known, but it’s far from the only one. Silverio Villegas González was killed in a Chicago suburb. An unnamed Mexican citizen was killed in December 2025. Keith Porter was killed on New Year’s Eve. Civilians have been shot during traffic stops in Portland, Los Angeles, Ontario, CA, St. Paul, and Baltimore. In every case, DHS rolls out the same story: the person used their vehicle as a weapon, and the agent feared for their life. But in several of these cases, judges have thrown out the charges against the civilians, pointing to a lack of due process or contradictory evidence. The pattern is unmistakable: ICE agents are escalating encounters, using deadly force, and then hiding behind the administration’s rhetoric to justify it.
Other incidents involve violence against people who weren’t even targets of an operation. Pastor David Black was shot in the head with a pepper-ball while he was praying outside an ICE facility. A Chicago woman was shot five times in the face with projectiles; the agent later bragged, “Put that in your book boys.” A CBP commander was caught on video tackling a man, then denied it under oath. People in Minnesota and Illinois have reported agents driving slowly through their neighborhoods, following them, and parking outside their homes. Activists, and even people who just track planes, have been monitored both online and in person. I’ve heard commentators say that ICE is out of control. I’d argue that their extreme acts of intimidation and violence are very much under the control of Trump and his administration.
A Surge in ICE and Border Patrol Violence Since Trump Returned to Office
This timeline shows a clear escalation: more shootings, more injuries, more fatalities, and more aggressive justifications from DHS.
| July 2025: Black Forest, CO | ICE agent fires three shots into a vehicle after claiming the driver attempted to ram officers. |
| September 2025: Chicago Suburb, IL | ICE agent fatally shoots Silverio Villegas González; DHS claims he tried to evade arrest by driving at agents. |
| October 2025: Los Angeles, CA | TikTok streamer Carlitos Ricardo Parias is shot in the elbow during an arrest; a judge later dismisses charges due to due process violations. |
| October 2025: Ontario, CA | An immigration agent shoots a man in the shoulder as he drives away; lawyer says the agent escalated the encounter. |
| December 2025: St. Paul, MN | ICE agents shoot an undocumented man during a vehicle pursuit; DHS claims he struck multiple agents. |
| December 2025: Baltimore Suburbs, MD | Traffic stop ends with one man shot and another injured after ICE agents open fire. |
| December 2025: Undisclosed Location | An unnamed Mexican citizen is killed by ICE agents during an arrest operation. |
| January 2026: Minneapolis, MN | ICE agent Jonathan Ross shoots and kills Renee Good; DHS immediately labels her a “violent rioter.” |
| January 2026: Portland, OR | Border Patrol agent shoots two people during a traffic stop; Portland’s mayor calls for a halt to ICE operations. |
| January 2026: Minneapolis, MN | Federal agent shoots a man during an altercation; protests erupt across the city. |
States Push Back – and the Constitutional Stakes Rise
All this violencehas sparked a constitutional showdown. Minnesota and Illinois have filed lawsuits, accusing the administration of violating the 10th Amendment by trampling on state sovereignty. Their argument is simple: ICE’s militarized surge is interfering with local police and putting their residents in danger. At the same time, DHS has restricted Congress’s ability to oversee detention facilities, demanding seven days’ notice for visits in an attempt to get around a federal court order. They secretly put that rule back in place the day after Renee Good was killed. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is sending military lawyers to prosecute civilians, and Trump is promising a “reckoning and retribution” for any state that resists.
A Pattern of Impunity
When you step back and look at all the individual incidents, a clear and chilling pattern emerges. ICE already believed in pushing its authority to the absolute limit. Trump gave that worldview his blessing. Oversight was gutted. Power was expanded. The rhetoric encouraged confrontation. The violence grew. And accountability vanished. This is how a democracy erodes, the steady normalization of state violence. ICE has crossed a line. It’s acting with a political agenda imposed by Trump, not professional discipline. And it’s using force to enforce the law and send a message to all of us.
The Danger Ahead
So the question isn’t whether ICE is dangerous, although I’m not sure that was ever a question. It’s whether we, as a country, can rein in an agency that no longer believes it should be reined in at all. ICE has become a tool for political intimidation, operating with a sense of impunity that should terrify anyone who cares about democracy. If we don’t face this transformation head-on, the violence we’re seeing today will become the standard for tomorrow. The danger is here. It is growing. And it is being carried out by federal agents who believe the president of the United States has their back, no matter how far they go. And they’re right.
← Read Part 1: ICE’s Nationalistic Enforcement Culture Was Built Under Bush
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