Following the tragic events that happened on September 1st, 2001, the Homeland Security Act set in place one of the largest government reorganizations: the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known now as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or I.C.E. This organization was established in order to strengthen both national security and public safety. This was accomplished by merging both investigative and interior branches together from the former U.S. Custom Services and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
Congress granted ICE the authority to conduct civil and criminal enforcement to help better protect our nation’s security, and with this, they are also granted the authority to be armed. Agents have been allowed to carry weapons, as they are federal law enforcement officers, and danger can happen at any time with a job like this, but as of late, we have seen that they have taken that right completely out of bounds and used it to commit horrible hate crimes against racial minority groups.
Starting in January 2025, following the inauguration of President Donald Trump, recent statistics show that more than 60,000 people have been detained in ICE custody, with 73.9% of detainees having no prior or current criminal convictions. This surge has created what people are calling a “chilling effect,” which has led people to stray away from heavily populated areas out of fear and paranoia from these recent events.
The main problem people are taking from this is that most ICE agents are racially profiling American civilians, based on features and skin colors, which are then giving them the “right” to have suspicion and detain them. They don’t do any prior investigation whether the people they are detaining are citizens or not, which a lot of people weaponize with Obama’s term. Yes, though President Obama detained 3.1 million people using ICE, he made sure to intricately look through the suspects documents and criminal records using the D.H.S. (Department of Home Security) and secure communities program. Now, even though this service and organization is meant to protect us and help us remain strong as a nation, we see that these officers are constantly committing unconstitutional acts upon non-guilty residents. They’ve been seen trying to knock on doors (violating the 4th Amendment), trying to pry information out of people who are just doing ordinary tasks, like walking the dog (Fifth Amendment), and most importantly, using discrimination, prejudices, and violence upon colored American citizens (violating the 14th Amendment).
Alexander Hamilton High prides itself on being an all-inclusive school, with people from all different backgrounds being welcomed with open arms. If you or someone you know is currently fearing these raids and/or feels threatened, remember your constitutional rights and follow a safety plan you can instill. Hamilton also provides “Know Your Rights” cards that you can find in the main office. You can place them on any outward-facing door to help you feel a sense of security.
