ICE Protests Nationwide
Photo by: Unsplash
Why are people protesting?
Due to the United States’ close proximity to Latin America and Latin America’s economic, political, and environmental instability (a fact which was worsened by the United States’ involvement with Latin America during the Cold War), about a million people every year attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. They hope for a better life for themselves, their families, and their futures—and begin making the difficult journey north with the belief that they have no real choice. If they are a part of those lucky enough to make it past the border, they get jobs, set up a home for themselves, and worry every day about whether the wrong person might learn about their legal status.
Established in 2003, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who are responsible for upholding immigration laws within the United States, controversially had their budget raised to 45 billion dollars with the passing of the 2025 Big Beautiful Bill under the Trump administration. This, along with their annual budget of about 10 million, has resulted in a record number of ICE officers who have begun patrolling throughout the entirety of the nation—intent on deporting as many ‘aliens’ as possible. They target Spanish-speaking communities, grocery stores, farms, factories…any place they believe undocumented people frequent. Currently ICE has around 68,500 people being held in their detention centers and claim to have deported about 550,000 people. Homeland Security states that their efforts have proven successful as over 1.6 million people have left willingly out of fear alone.
People’s fear of ICE has only continued to grow with the death of Minnesota woman Renée Good on January 7th 2026. She was fatally shot three times, while reversing her car away from the agents who were surrounding her. Minnesotans were outraged and began protesting en masse. Democrats throughout the entire country rallied behind them, calling for ICE to be abolished before more people get hurt. Republicans state that ICE agents are simply doing their job and dealing with a never-ending problem. They believe that undocumented immigrants have broken the law by coming over illegally and that ICE is simply the solution to the United States’ immigrant crisis—that the officers were simply defending themselves. Democrats assert that the illegal immigrant crisis is a result of faulty immigration laws that make coming legally a decade long process, and that no human can be illegal on stolen land.
Since Renée Good’s death, at least three other people have been shot and another, Alex Pretti, was killed by ICE agents. Minnesota and Oregon protestors, where the two victims were from, have demanded justice and the abolishment of ICE and refuse to stop protesting until their demands are met. Officers and ICE agents alike have claimed that these protestors are "rowdy" and therefore have used items like tear gas against the crowds as well as conducting arrests. The protestors believe that the police and ICE are using their position of power to purposefully harm the protestors. That they are acting inhumanely and not as government agents should act.
The rest of the country has looked to Oregon and Minnesota as examples and have begun to mass protest ICE. Schools, including multiple high schools in Stockton, have staged walk-outs, businesses have periodically closed down in solidarity, and many have devoted hours of their week to advocating for change or protesting. These protests do not seem to be stopping anytime soon, with protestors unified under the belief that without change, our nation will quickly fall apart.
Sources:
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ice-expansion-has-outpaced-accountability-what-are-the-remedies/
https://tracreports.org/immigration/detentionstats/pop_agen_table.html
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-06/ice-monitoring-doxing-charges-los-angeles
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/ice-expanding-detention-system/
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/nx-s1-5674887/ice-budget-funding-congress-trump