OPINION: Are ICE Officers Homegrown Terrorists?
By: Maya Tinajero, Skyline Desk-Chief
ALPINE – The Federal Bureau of Investigation describes domestic terrorism as “violent criminal acts committed by individuals and or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature.” Given this definition, and the increase in violence perpetuated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers-one might conclude that homegrown terrorist is an appropriate label for ICE agents.
The Trump Administration has never shied away from its stance on immigration. Published on the White House website is the executive order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” The document is full of pervasive language, referring to immigrants, human beings, as “illegal aliens” and claiming that “many have abused the generosity of the American people, and their presence in the United States has cost taxpayers billions of dollars at the Federal, State, and local levels.” This accusation is not only false but also extremely dangerous, as it uses language that villainizes immigrants and fuels resentment, creating a community out of individuals who are looking for someone to blame and identifying immigration as the source of our country’s problems.
According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonprofit think tank that conducts economic research, immigrants contribute much more to the economy than they have gained from it. The Economic Policy Institute’s research indicates that despite only accounting for 14.3% of the country’s total population, immigrants’ total output in 2023 was 18% or 2.1 trillion in 2024 dollars. Their research also shows that immigration expands the economy and does not take jobs away from U.S. citizens. In fact, in 2023, the number of immigrants was higher than usual, while the unemployment rate for U.S.-born workers hit a record low.
Although President Trump is no stranger to immigrants, being that three of his wives immigrated to the United States, including current First Lady Melania Trump, his adamant intolerance of what he calls “illegal aliens” festers a seed of hatred within his followers. Nowhere does this sentiment seem more prevalent than within ICE.
I, as well as many other Americans, I’m sure, have watched the videos of ICE officers showing up in courtrooms, neighborhoods, and even homes with plain clothes and masks. The videos are horrific. From using unnecessary force on both immigrants and civilians, to making arrests without warrants and teargassing peaceful protestors in both Chicago and Portland, the acts of violence being committed by ICE officers are creating what can only be defined as terror and instability within our country. These are not people who care about protecting America from cross-border crime and illegal immigration; they are hateful and angry, or at best, power-hungry individuals whom the president has emboldened with his nativist ideology.
