The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, also known as ICE, was created in 2002 after being signed by George Bush. ICE’s original purpose was helping after 9/11.
Recently, ICE has become very controversial. Border Patrol agents fatally shot a Minneapolis man, 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti on January 24. This is the third shooting involving federal agents in 2026, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent on January 7.
Since Donald Trump became president, the number of ICE arrests have doubled, border crossings have plummeted and the number of people in detention is at an all-time high, according to data collected by Sky News.
According to NBC on January 21, 2026, Laura Strickler and Phil Helsel stated that, “An internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement document in May shows that ICE told officers and agents they can forcibly enter homes of people subject to deportation without warrants signed by judges.”
Renee Macklin Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent, and eyewitnesses say she posed ‘no threat.’ An eyewitness told NBC News that ICE agents gave conflicting orders to Good in south Minneapolis. One agent ordered her to drive away from the scene where an ICE vehicle was stuck in a snowbank, while another yelled at her to get out of her car as he reached for the door handle. The scene ended with an agent shooting into the car, killing Good.
Officer Carlos, Palmer’s school resource officer, said, “ICE has taken their powers to an advantage, since originally they were here to help with 9\11. Now they are doing so much more than deporting.”
Some students may be scared to come to school because of ICE due to the fear that they are going to be taken out of their homes or school by ICE.
Students from Palmer went to a walkout protest against ICE at City Hall. Over 100 students came. Student Hunter Roper, who attended the walkout, said, “I think ICE needs to be stopped, they are taking away so many people and killing so many people, too. I wish there was a way we could stop them but it’s not that easy.”
Another student, David Griffin, spoke up about ICE, “So many kids and adults are scared to go to school or work, or just going out in general, and even in their own homes people are scared they’ll get deported or even worse, killed. Rest in peace, Renee Good and Alex Pretti”
An ELL teacher at our school, Ms. Griego works closely with students from other countries. Griego says, “Two of my students have parents who are not citizens and they have been staying home with their parents in hiding because they can’t afford to self deport.”
