What is ICE
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in 2002 in response to the September 11 attacks and as part of the reform of the country's security system.The current director of ICE, appointed by the U.S. president, is Todd M. Lyons, who has held this position since March 2025.
The main task of ICE is to enforce immigration laws and combat crimes related to international migration. The agency is involved in identifying illegal migrants, organizing their deportation, and investigating cases of smuggling, document forgery, and financial crimes.
This agency has significantly increased its influence against the backdrop of President Trump's strict immigration policy. ICE employs about 20,000 staff members and has over 400 offices both in the U.S. and abroad. The agency's budget is $8 billion, making it the most financially well-off federal agency in the country's history.
Reasons for Protests
On January 7, 2026, an ICE agent shot 37-year-old Rene Nicole Good, claiming that she drove her car toward the agency's officers.Shortly after, on January 24, in the same city, 37-year-old nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretty was shot. Officials claimed he was armed; however, recordings from the scene showed that he only had a phone in his hands.
Background of Events
Since the beginning of 2025, ICE has faced increasing criticism. Journalists have highlighted raids in educational institutions and places of worship, as well as the agency's actions during immigration hearings. Criticism has also focused on family separations, inadequate detention conditions, and the policy of mass hiring inexperienced staff.In May 2025, Todd Lyons signed a memorandum allowing ICE agents to enter private residences without a warrant, based solely on an administrative arrest warrant and a final deportation order. Many lawyers saw this as a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
Human rights advocates report poor conditions in detention centers and insufficient access to medical care; in 2025, 32 people died in such centers, the worst figure since 2004. In September of the same year, more than a hundred detainees in California went on hunger strike, protesting against unsanitary conditions and lack of medical care.
At the end of December 2025, Trump ordered the deployment of ICE agents and border patrol officers to Minneapolis-St. Paul, leading to numerous incidents of forceful arrests.
Formats of Protests
Protests have taken various forms.Activists organized over 200 events in 43 states, according to a CNN report.
In Minneapolis, residents gathered on the beach to form the letters SOS. Student organizations and activists held rallies in California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and Texas in solidarity.
While most protests were peaceful, some escalated into clashes with the police.
Some participants opted for strikes: shop and café owners closed their establishments, and citizens skipped work shifts and classes under the slogan "No work, no school, no shopping."
Scott Galloway, a professor at New York University, proposed a new form of protest—an economic boycott, urging people to cancel subscription services from major companies for the entire month of February, claiming that "the power fears not protests, but economic downturn."
Protest statements were also made at the Grammy ceremony.
A Spanish-language album won the Grammy's top award for the first time, and Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny condemned Trump's immigration policy in his speech, stating: "We are not savages, not animals, and not aliens. We are people. And we are Americans."
Billy Eilish, who won the Song of the Year award, called for active action: "We must continue to fight, speak out, and protest. Our voices matter. People matter."
Current Situation
President Trump ordered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to ensure that ICE and border patrol agents "under no circumstances" intervene in protests in democratically governed cities. However, he added that federal agents would be ready to "respond quickly and methodically" if local authorities requested assistance.Trump also warned that federal actions would be "very tough" in the case of protecting federal property: "We will not allow our courthouses or other facilities to be damaged," he emphasized.
He referred to the protesters as "well-paid lunatics and anarchists." "I was elected based on border control policy, and that is what America wants!" Trump emphasized in his post.
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun an investigation into the death of Alex Pretty in Minneapolis. Participants in the operation during which the shooting occurred have been suspended from duty. The possibility of civil rights violations and excessive use of force is being examined.
In response to the wave of outrage over Pretty's killing, Trump promised to conduct a "fair and dignified investigation." Congress has already received a report on the preliminary internal investigation of the incident.
Meanwhile, independent journalist Georgia Fort and former CNN host Don Lemon were arrested and are now facing felony charges related to their reporting on the protests against ICE in Minnesota, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
