How do immigrant communities view ICE enforcement practices?
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Executive summary
Immigrant communities report fear, organizing and sharp disapproval of current ICE tactics: surveys find majorities of immigrant voters say ICE is doing a poor job and many view enforcement as “too tough” (KFF/New York Times: one-third see enforcement as too tough, four-in-ten see it as about right or not tough enough; most disapprove of ICE’s job) [1]. Independent polling and reporting show spikes in local arrests, widespread raids in Latino, Black and Asian neighborhoods, and extra-legal tactics — prompting community resistance, legal challenges and claims of racist targeting (Pew: 59% of Latinos report ICE activity in their area; reporting documents raids in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Minneapolis and elsewhere) [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Fear and trauma: enforcement as an everyday terror
Many community leaders, advocates and residents describe ICE operations as a form of “terror” that deters routine life — people avoid travel, work and public presence for fear of detention — a reaction repeated in reporting on car‑wash and street‑vendor raids in Los Angeles and New York and in airport arrest programs that rely on passenger data (The New York Times characterizes airport data sharing as causing people to be “terrified” to leave home; The Guardian describes public mass arrests and operations targeting vendors and car wash workers) [6] [3] [5].
2. Disproportionate exposure and racialized targeting
Advocates and local officials say ICE’s campaigns often concentrate in Latino, Somali and other immigrant neighborhoods and workplaces, prompting accusations of racism and Islamophobia — for example, Minnesota Somali community groups and the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota call recent targeted operations “disturbing, Islamophobic, and racist,” and reporting documents Somali-focused operations in the Twin Cities [7] [4]. Journalistic investigations into LA car wash raids and New Orleans operations likewise document community claims of racialized dragnet tactics [3] [8].
3. Political fracture within immigrant communities
Polls show immigrant voters are not monolithic: a substantial minority view enforcement as too harsh, but many see it as “about right” or even “not tough enough.” The KFF/New York Times survey finds 34% say enforcement is too tough while 42% see it as about right or not tough enough; partisanship shapes these views (Democrat immigrants skew toward “too tough,” Republican immigrants more toward “not tough enough” or “about right”) [1]. State-level polling in California finds 71% disapprove of ICE’s job, underscoring strong regional dissatisfaction [9].
4. Community defense and rapid organizing
Faced with raids, immigrant communities have mobilized “know your rights” trainings, legal hotlines, whistles and neighborhood observer networks to document and deter arrests. Reporting from New York and Chicago details street vendors and neighbors sharing tactics, blocking law‑enforcement exits, and building intercity networks to protect vulnerable workers (The Guardian’s coverage of vendor protections and Chicago organizing describes whistles, trainings and coordinated defense) [10] [5].
5. Legal and policy pushback at local and state levels
States and cities wield influence: some localities restrict cooperation with ICE and pass sanctuary protections that reduce mass deportation outcomes, while others or particular sheriffs cooperate closely with federal agents — producing uneven exposure across jurisdictions. Analysis of arrest data and advocacy reporting shows state and local policies materially affect how many arrests local jails funnel to ICE (Prison Policy’s update and Stateline’s reporting on rising non‑criminal arrests highlight this dynamic) [11] [12].
6. Data and reporting reveal operational shifts and consequences
New ICE data analyzed by journalists show enforcement surges and a growing share of arrests are immigration‑only, not criminal cases; one summary finds tens of thousands of arrests per month in 2025 and an increasing share without criminal records, which advocates say increases “collateral” arrests during sweeps (Stateline, Click2Houston and Deportation Data Project reporting) [12] [13]. The New York Times’ reporting on TSA data‑sharing to airports reveals how surveillance and information flows are being weaponized in enforcement [6].
7. Competing narratives and political calculations
Federal officials frame enforcement as targeting “serious offenders” and public‑safety priorities; some outlets report DHS considering strategy shifts to emphasize convicted criminals amid negative polling. Opponents and many immigrant leaders counter that operations are broad, disruptive and politically motivated, pointing to traffic‑stop fallout and airport detentions as evidence of sweeping tactics (Fox News and other reporting note DHS rhetoric about refocusing on serious offenders while advocates and reporters document broad raids) [14] [6].
Limitations: available sources document U.S. reporting, polls and advocacy reactions through December 2025 but do not provide exhaustive ethnographic accounts from all immigrant subgroups; local experience varies by state, city and immigrant population, and available sources do not mention every community’s internal debates or coping strategies.