The American Nightmare: the violent nature of ICE is tearing the “American Dream” apart
The current violent nature of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has shattered the sense of security amongst Americans. 32 people were killed by ICE in 2025, 22 of those individuals having no criminal record. In 2026, four individuals have died in ICE detainment at the detention centers.
Additionally there have been 20 shooting incidents involving ICE Agents from late 2025 into 2026, the most known deaths from these incidents being Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.
When I see stories about ICE killing innocent people, Americans even, a familiar feeling weighs on my chest. The video replays in my mind as Good’s smile and confidence radiate through the screen. I read the numerous accounts and interviews that her friends and family gave, and I see the Instagram posts and read the heartfelt captions about her. I read about her three sons and how they will grow up without their mother, her poor wife who has to put their life back together while missing a key piece, her father whose eyes now hold a pain deeper than what can be understood and her neighbors who miss the sunshine from next door.
The feeling reminds me of the deep sorrow I felt for the mothers, brothers, sisters and everyone who lost their sunshine five years ago when people like Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery were tragically killed by police brutality. They were mothers, fathers and friends whose sweet souls were removed from this earth.
Though ICE has existed since 2003, President Donald Trump’s administration now uses brutal methods to enforce federal immigration laws such as forcible entry into homes, internal misconduct and hacking technology to complete facial recognition practices. Ring, the doorbell camera company, previously partnered with Flock Safety which allows law enforcement agencies to request video footage directly from Ring cameras. These devices that are supposed to promote safety are being used secretively. The partnership with Flock Safety was fully acknowledged after the Ring Super Bowl commercial broadcasted their new facial recognition feature. Ring has since terminated its partnership with Flock Safety after intense public anger, causing them to lose customers. Social media influencers continued to spark the idea of removing the cameras by spreading the trend where users remove and destroy the device.
In 2017, former President Barack Obama prepared 270,000 ICE detainers, increasing their power and territory while deporting 2.7 million individuals. ICE’s enforcement capacity and activity increased significantly under former President Joe Biden’s administration as well, as they arrested over 500,000 immigrants in the United States. ICE issued 295,456 detainers under Biden and deported 1.1 million immigrants, only 33% of them actual criminals.
In 2026 under the Trump administration, ICE is expanding. ICE has become the most heavily funded U.S. law enforcement agency with a $170 billion budget. Under the Obama administration, ICE’s budget ranged from $5-6 billion, focused mainly on criminals who are also undocumented. Now, the focus has shifted to only undocumented immigrants, even if they pose no threat. Under the Biden administration, ICE’s budget ranged from $8-10 billion, expanding in both territory and power. The Trump administration has drastically changed and overpowered this organization that is now known for destruction, separation and death.
ICE has physically harmed protesters, both violent and nonviolent, with tear gas, shootings, pepper balls and physical force, leaving some protesters with injuries ranging from permanent blindness to death. According to a survey from PBS, as of February 2026, roughly 60-65% of Americans disapprove of the job ICE is doing and believe the agency has “gone too far” in enforcing immigration laws. It is tragic that the activists defending those who stand up for what is wrong are harmed or killed by the very program fracturing the nation.
These intentional scare tactics have left Hispanic and minority communities in constant fear and anxiety. I’ve seen family friends full of fear while dropping off their child at school. Parents head to work and hope it won’t be the last time they see their children. The fear of separation consumes their minds, including our peers in high school. 34.2% of Cedar Shoals and 27% of Clarke Central’s population are Hispanic, so there is no denying our peers are affected.
I’ve seen fear consume my friends while they tell me how they beg their parents not to go to work or how their heart drops every time they see Instagram stories mentioning local ICE checkpoints. I see the stress and fear hiding behind their smiles as they try to push through school like everything is normal. I watch how they avoid the news as it has become too hurtful for them to hear.
The new, more violent ICE under the Trump administration has separated hundreds of thousands of families, cost at least 36 people their lives and pumps anxiety and fear into society’s veins with no intervention. Has America changed to become the land of nightmares and terror, no longer the country of dreams and opportunity?
