Gone in 90 seconds: an ‘invisibilized’ ICE is arresting more people than ever

Key Points:

• ICE raids last year were described as a “siege” with agents using military vehicles and patrolling neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces, leading to public backlash after two US citizens were killed during a Minneapolis operation.
• Under new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, ICE shifted to more covert tactics, embedding agents in everyday settings and partnering extensively with local law enforcement through over 2,500 287(g) agreements, greatly expanding their enforcement reach.
• Despite a softer public image, ICE arrests remain frequent and often violent, with incidents including shootings and fatal crashes while fleeing agents; many detentions occur rapidly and quietly, making them less visible to the public.
• The Trump administration has broadened deportation criteria by ending temporary protections for certain immigrant groups, conducting mass court hearings resulting in removal orders in absentia, and pursuing “third-country” deportations, affecting thousands of immigrants.
• Many detainees face prolonged detention and pressure to accept voluntary deportation due to lengthy legal processes, with concerns over racial profiling and local law enforcement’s limited understanding of immigration laws leading to wrongful arrests and deportations.