ICE causing terror to USA Citizens, need to relax extreme practices

By Natalee O.

To many Hispanics in Airport High School the topic of ICE and illegal immigration crackdowns can be sensitive . They have been feeling worried and some even angry about the current situation , not knowing if they will see their mom and dad after school, whether or not their parents are here legally. Some people don't really know what's going on,  others don”t think it's important. Some Teachers have already seen  the effects of ICE actions, for example students not showing up to class. Moreover, the actions of ICE are going over the limit and causing fears to the citizens in the USA. This has affected everyone like schools, jobs and more.  

Firstly, ICE is racially targeting Hispanics even causing Latinos born legally in the USA to have fear. According to Brookings.edu, White border patrol agents whom ethnic Latinos  might encounter assume their race based on their skin color, hairstyle, or facial  features and are alleged to check their paperwork more often than people who do not look Latino. Nearly half, more specifically 48%, of naturalized Latino citizens reported they would be defined as latino. These latino citizens would be highly likely to be targeted under the profiling criteria permitted  by the supreme court ruling. This tells us that 19.5 to 20 % of US latinos citizens can be targeted which is scary to think about . According to  TheGuardian.com, Laynez - Ambrisio, an 18 year old US citizen, shows a group of officers in tactical gear working together to violently detain the three men, two of whom are undocumented. ICE can be heard telling the US citizen "you've got no rights here. You're a migo, brother. “   

Secondly,  ICE needs to stop treating potential illegals inhumanely. There has been evidence of ICE maltreating immigrants when they are apprehended. According to ACLU.org in the past three months there have been at least three  deaths, two of whom were kids of 8-year old Felipe Gomez and 7-year old Jakelin Caal died in the hands of ICE. More evidence can be found here  AmericanProgress.org  ICE agents have been seen swinging batons, smashing car windows, using explosives to blow the door off , shooting into families vehicles and grabbing people off the street and putting them in unmarked vehicles. 

Thirdly, a bunch of ICE agents are going undercover, and some police stations are helping ICE which is also causing fear to our communities. According to Opb.org, arrests follow a pattern : masked agents , including ICE and other federal officers assigned to work with ICE  , wearing plain clothes and sometimes arriving in unmarked vehicles. Civil rights say it's creating fear and undermining public trust . This relates to my first reason that I gave about why ICE needs to chill out.

Opponents of my view that ICE is being too extreme argue that ICE isn't going too far and that they are only enforcing the laws . They only create fear because of the laws they are enforcing . Or someone might argue that illegal  immigration is out of control and that ICE should do whatever it takes to get rid of illegals. This argument is wrong because they can find other ways to get the criminals. There has been evidence of ICE breaking car windows and beating up people in front of their kids.

To see if others on campus share my views or think differently, I conducted several interviews, including with Jose B., who said, “The government should not focus on finding people that haven't done anything bad, there are more worst things the gov should solve. people criminals that have been kidnapping, threatening, abuse and murder that are more serious. They are getting people who haven't even done anything bad and only come here to work. ICE destroys families.”

Another student, my classmate in economics class Diego I., added, “They [ICE] are enforcing laws that they should have enforced years ago but now they are doing it. Why now.” I agree with Diego. This all-of-a-sudden quality to the crackdown on illegal immigration feels very targeted and malicious, causing unnecessary fears among a mostly hardworking bunch when there are more bigger problems to worry about. 

As I have stated, ICE is getting out of control and bringing fear to people in the United States. By racially targeting Hispanics, mistreating  immigrants and sometimes disguising their identities. These reasons show that the agency’s procedures are raising concerns. These issues can also tell us that ICE is not sticking to the procedures and instead raising fear. In order to learn more about these issues I suggest you join small organizations that help immigrants have fair treatment or even just by staying informed about the immigration policies.