ICE arrests
I know of a man who was arrested by ICE in June of 2025; he was recently released in January, 2026, without any charges filed against him. I think what probably happened was this:
ICE, in order to meet their quotas, must arrest over 3000 people per day. They've already arrested the obvious and easy to find criminals. So now they're going after those who are not obvious and those with lesser or even no criminal records, anyone they think might be here illegally. They're arresting so many people that courts are full of demands for hearings; the backlog is humongous, and most of the people now being arrested will have to be released for lack of evidence--if the courts ever get to hear from them before ICE deports them all.
Lives are being upended, and for what? This man is one of thousands who is here legally but is not yet a full citizen, because the process to become a citizen is convoluted and long; immigration courts are underfunded and chronically backed up. He was arrested while turning in paperwork for the next step in the process. He was not protesting; he was not breaking any laws. He was trying to the best of his ability to climb the mountain of paperwork required, to thread the needle and swallow the camel. He wants to be here for the rest of his life. He wants to see his children and grandchildren live in the land of the free.
Suddenly they don't feel so free. If he can be arrested and held without trial for so long, who's to say he won't be arrested again the next time he's in a place where ICE is sweeping? This is destabilizing. This is why there are protests. This is why people are complaining. This is why people are trying to get government to stop, or at least to slow down. Yes, some criminals have been arrested and deported. But we're past the point of easy crooks being the most affected. Now we're hurting more innocents than criminals.
Do we give him a stamp that says, "Already been through the system; do not arrest"? How do we deal with the homes broken up, the businesses left without owners or workers or even someone to ask? Apartments cannot afford to stand empty while arrested people wait in jail-like barns; workplaces must hire someone else to do the work. There will be no jobs waiting and many people are going to lose their household goods, even if they're freed.
This government is vindictively trying to remove many more people than necessary to reduce crime, just because they're different. Profiling is happening. This is not right.
