What is ICE and why are people across the US protesting it?

The shooting of a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis has sparked protests across the US and put fresh focus on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE.Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, ICE has carried out thousands of arrests, often in public places.

Because of this, its officers are now appearing more frequently inside neighbourhoods and towns, which has led to pushback from people who don’t agree with their actions.ICE is the main agency driving the Trump administration’s mass-deportation plan, one of his big campaign promises. The president has expanded the agency - its size, money, and powers - since taking office again. ICE’s job is to enforce immigration laws, investigate undocumented immigration, and remove people who are in the country illegally.The agency was created after the 9/11 attacks as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. That law set up the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE became one of its branches. ICE says its work is about public safety and national security, but it operates differently than regular local police.

ICE agents can stop, question, detain, and arrest people they suspect are in the US illegally. In some situations, they may even detain US citizens - for example, if someone interferes with an arrest, assaults an officer, or is wrongly suspected of being undocumented.

Still, investigations have found cases where US citizens were held even when they shouldn’t have been. ProPublica reported that during the first nine months of Trump’s presidency, more than 170 Americans were detained against their will.In the most recent Minneapolis case, Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen, was shot and killed in her car. The Trump administration says the officer acted in self-defence. Local officials say she wasn’t a threat.The rules around ICE using force come from the US Constitution, federal law, and DHS policies. Law experts say deadly force is only allowed if someone poses a serious danger to others or has committed a violent crime. But courts often give officers wide leeway when they make split-second decisions.A 2023 DHS memo states deadly force can be used only when officers reasonably believe someone poses an immediate threat of death or serious injury.

That debate is now front and centre again with Renee Good’s death.Where does ICE operate? Mostly inside the United States, although it has some staff abroad. Border security is officially handled by US Customs and Border Protection, but under Trump, those lines have blurred. Border Patrol agents increasingly work inside the country and join ICE in raids. Hundreds of officers have been deployed to major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis, and as many as 2,000 federal officers are expected in Minneapolis alone for the latest operation.What happens to people detained by ICE varies. Some are questioned and released. Others are sent to large detention centres across the country and may later be deported if they lose their immigration cases. As of 30 November 2025, about 65,000 people were being held in ICE detention. Families and lawyers sometimes spend days trying to locate where someone has been taken.Deportations have surged. Between 20 January and 10 December 2025, the administration reported removing 605,000 people and said 1.9 million more “self-deported” after campaigns urging them to leave voluntarily.

ICE has also faced protests and lawsuits. Residents often record arrests on their phones, and some encounters turn tense or violent. There have been earlier shootings linked to immigration operations, including in Los Angeles, where DHS said drivers threatened officers with vehicles. Officers have also been criticised for wearing masks during raids; DHS says this protects them from harassment or doxing.Public opinion is mixed. Polls suggest many Americans support some deportations but are uneasy with how they are being carried out. A 2025 Pew survey found just over half of adults thought the administration was doing “too much” to deport undocumented immigrants, while about a third supported the approach.Renee Good’s death has now become another flashpoint in that larger national argument - over immigration, law enforcement, and how far ICE’s powers should go.