The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis has brought renewed national attention to the role and authority of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, commonly known as ICE. The incident has triggered protests across several American cities and intensified debate over how federal immigration agents operate, particularly when force is used.
ICE has significantly expanded its activities since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. The agency has carried out thousands of arrests, many of them in public spaces, leading to growing tension with local communities and activists who oppose its methods.
What ICE is and how it was created
ICE is the federal agency primarily responsible for enforcing immigration laws within the United States. It plays a central role in identifying, detaining and removing people who are in the country without legal authorisation. The agency has also been tasked with investigating cross-border crimes linked to immigration.
ICE was established in 2003 following the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which reorganised the federal government after the 11 September 2001 attacks. That legislation created the Department of Homeland Security, bringing together multiple agencies under one umbrella, with ICE operating as one of its core components.
Since 2025, the Trump administration has increased ICE’s budget, staffing levels and enforcement mandate as part of a broader mass deportation strategy that was a major campaign pledge.
Powers to stop, detain and arrest
ICE agents describe their mission as protecting both public safety and national security. Their legal authority, however, differs from that of state or local police officers.
Agents are permitted to stop, question, detain and arrest individuals they reasonably suspect of being in the United States unlawfully. To enter private homes or non-public spaces, agents generally must have a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
ICE officers are not authorised to arrest US citizens solely on immigration grounds. Detention of citizens can occur only in limited situations, such as when someone interferes with an arrest, assaults an officer, or is initially suspected of being an undocumented immigrant.
Despite these limits, reporting by ProPublica found more than 170 cases during the first months of Trump’s presidency in which US citizens were detained by federal agents, often after being mistakenly identified as undocumented.
Rules governing the use of force
The use of force by ICE agents is regulated by the US Constitution, federal law and internal policies issued by the Department of Homeland Security.
According to legal experts, deadly force may only be used when an officer believes there is an immediate threat of death or serious injury. Chris Slobogin, a criminal justice scholar at Vanderbilt University Law School, has said constitutional standards allow lethal force only in extreme circumstances involving serious danger.
A 2023 DHS policy memo states that deadly force is permitted only when necessary and when an officer reasonably believes such force is required to prevent imminent harm. US courts have historically given officers wide discretion when evaluating split-second decisions made in high-risk situations.
In the Minneapolis case, federal officials say the agent acted in self-defence, while city leaders maintain that Good did not pose a threat. The incident has led to legal action by Minnesota officials seeking to limit the deployment of federal immigration agents in the state.
Where ICE operates
ICE primarily operates inside the United States, though it maintains a limited overseas presence. Border enforcement is formally handled by US Customs and Border Protection, but those responsibilities have increasingly overlapped in recent years.
Under the Trump administration, Border Patrol agents and officers from other federal agencies have been reassigned to assist with immigration enforcement in cities. Large-scale deployments have taken place in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis.
As of mid-January 2025, officials told CBS News that around 2,000 federal agents, including ICE personnel, were deployed in Minneapolis, along with hundreds more from border and customs agencies.
What happens after detention
ICE encounters can result in different outcomes. Some individuals are questioned and released shortly afterward. Others are taken into custody and transferred to immigration detention centres located across the country.
While detained, individuals may pursue legal challenges to remain in the US. If those efforts fail, deportation may follow. Government data compiled by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse indicates that about 65,000 people were held in ICE detention facilities as of late November 2025.
Immigration attorneys say families and legal representatives can face delays of several days before learning where detainees are being held.
Public opposition and debate
ICE operations have faced resistance in many communities. Residents often record enforcement actions, and confrontations between agents and members of the public have sometimes turned hostile.
Civil rights groups and media organisations have challenged ICE and related agencies in court, accusing officers of excessive force during enforcement actions. While some judges have initially sided with plaintiffs, higher courts have overturned certain rulings.
Debate over ICE has also focused on tactics such as agents wearing face coverings. DHS officials argue masks are necessary to prevent harassment and online targeting of officers.
Public opinion remains divided. A 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that a narrow majority of Americans believe some deportations are necessary. At the same time, more than half of respondents said the administration was going too far in its enforcement approach, reflecting ongoing unease over the scale and methods of ICE operations.