When Donald John Trump was inaugurated into the second term of his presidency a little over one year ago, fears grew among many communities of immigrants, whether legal or illegal, that the incoming administration would impact their lives in some negative way. With every new headline you see—and there are headlines such as “ICE detains five-year-old Minnesota boy arriving home” or “Man shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis”—you begin to question whether these policies are reflective of democratic values or a turn in the wrong direction, toward authoritarianism.
Since his first run for office in 2016, Trump expressed a desire to conduct mass deportations of illegal immigrants while halting illegal immigration at the southern border. His methods of accomplishing that goal, though, have struck many people as unjust, inhumane, and cruel. The White House enlisted support from local law enforcement as well as federal agencies that traditionally had little to do with immigration (such as the U.S. Postal Service, the IRS, the ATF, as well as the U.S. Marshals Service). Federal agencies, particularly ICE, have conducted “at-large” arrests in communities while also knocking on doors, raiding workplaces, and detaining immigrants in harsh and often degrading conditions. Reports from human rights organizations and other sources tell us that living conditions for immigrants in detention centers are often inhumane, as centers are often overcrowded and unsanitary. Detainees, including children, are sometimes held in cages, while others are often separated from their families and face mental abuse.
Beyond the physical mistreatment, Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policy has instilled fear in the lives of millions of immigrants in the United States, many of whom try to stay home, fearing that some day they, too, will face the trauma of being torn from their families and communities. Since Trump took office, the United States has become more hostile to unauthorized immigrants while also changing how the government treats immigrants of all legal statuses. The impact on individuals, small businesses that run on immigrant labor, families, and the nation’s reputation will be felt for years to come.
During Trump’s second term in office, we’ve also seen thousands of new federal agents being deployed after only six to eight weeks of training. The training focuses on defensive tactics, firearms use, tactical operations, and arrest techniques, but Spanish language has been removed from the training. As a consequence of this shortened training, federal agents have clearly not been prepared for high-stress difficult situations, which has led to many incidents between reactionary ICE agents and innocent civilians. The most notorious of those incidents involve the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. After their killings, President Trump has continued to defend federal immigration enforcement while also stating that his administration would “de-escalate” in Minneapolis. However, as we’ve seen before, the President often changes his rhetoric and statements when the political winds shift, so don’t expect much to come from this call for “de-escalation.” He’s also resorted to blaming “Democrat ensued chaos” as a cause contributing to the dangerous situation in Minneapolis, while the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, labeled Alex Pretti as a “domestic terrorist.”
As federal agents continue to engage in cruel operations to detain immigrants, authoritarianism is alive and well in our country. There are the videos of an ICE agent fatally shooting Renee Good in Minneapolis. There are the videos of federal agents shooting Alex Pretti dead on the ground. Federal agents tear gassed Shawn and Destiny Jackson and their six kids in their car on their way home from a basketball game, causing their baby to temporarily stop breathing. ICE broke down the door of ChongLy Scott Thao, a long-time U.S. citizen originally from Laos, dragging him from his home into the frigid weather, wearing only underwear and sandals. These incidents all took place in the Minneapolis area. There are countless other abuses of power happening across the United States.
These actions and policies don’t just harm the people directly involved but also millions of immigrants around the country, planting the seed of fear into their minds. They are wondering if they will be the next ones to be detained and deported or hurt without cause. It also sends a message to the world and invites others to believe that the United States may no longer be a country committed to freedom and justice—but rather a nation that is willing to brutally wield power against those who are vulnerable.
