The ICE Raids: Mass Detentions, Violence, and the Shocking Reality of Immigration Crackdowns
In recent months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has escalated its nationwide raids, targeting not only undocumented immigrants but also U.S. citizens, Indigenous people, and legal residents. Reports of violent arrests, illegal detentions, and racial profiling are growing, raising serious concerns about constitutional rights and government overreach. The scale and brutality of these operations mirror some of the darkest moments in American history, from the forced deportations of the Great Depression to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
This article breaks down where the raids are happening, who is being affected, and why even U.S. citizens aren’t safe.
ICE Raids: What’s Happening Right Now?
Since the start of 2025, ICE has intensified its raids in major U.S. cities and rural areas, conducting mass detentions with little oversight. Some of the largest raids have been reported in:
Newark, NJ – A seafood processing plant was raided without a warrant, leading to the detention of multiple U.S. citizens, including a military veteran.
Phoenix, AZ – Immigration officials targeted day laborers and detained people without checking legal status, affecting both undocumented and legal residents.
Los Angeles, CA – Raids have expanded beyond workplaces to include residential neighborhoods, with ICE officers conducting random stops.
New York City, NY – Reports indicate that even documented immigrants and naturalized citizens have been taken into custody and forced to prove their status.
Source:
Newsweek - "ICE Expands Immigration Raids as U.S. Citizens Among Those Detained"
https://www.newsweek.com/ice-expands-immigration-raids-us-citizens-detained-2025-01-27
U.S. Citizens Are Being Detained
Despite ICE’s claims that its raids are only targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records, multiple cases have emerged of U.S. citizens being arrested and detained. In some cases, individuals have been held for weeks before proving their citizenship.
Newark, NJ: ICE Detains a U.S. Veteran
In January 2025, ICE officers conducted a warrantless raid on Ocean Seafood Depot in Newark, NJ, arresting more than 40 people, including U.S. citizens. Among them was a military veteran with a valid U.S. passport, who was held in a detention center for three days before authorities admitted their mistake.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka condemned the raid as an "egregious violation of rights", stating:
"ICE came in without a warrant, detained people who were legally present, and terrorized an entire workforce. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our city."
Source:
New York Magazine - "ICE Agents Detain American Citizens in Newark Raid"
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ice-agents-detain-american-citizens-in-newark-raid.html
Indigenous People Are Being Targeted
ICE agents have also wrongfully detained Native Americans, raising serious legal concerns. Indigenous communities have reported an increase in harassment, questioning, and arrests by federal immigration authorities.
Arizona & New Mexico: Navajo Nation Affected
In Arizona and New Mexico, members of the Navajo Nation have been detained despite presenting valid tribal identification. ICE agents have reportedly refused to recognize tribal IDs, leading to multiple wrongful detentions.
Tribal leaders have warned their communities to carry additional proof of U.S. citizenship, even though Indigenous people born within U.S. territories are automatically citizens.
"We are being treated like we are illegal in our own land," said one Navajo resident who was wrongfully detained for 48 hours before being released.
Source:
CNN - "Navajo Citizens Report Being Questioned and Detained by ICE"
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/27/us/navajo-detained-ice-indigenous-immigration-trump/index.html
ICE Is Conducting Raids Without Warrants
Legal experts have raised concerns about ICE’s growing disregard for due process, including the execution of raids without proper warrants. In many cases, agents have entered homes, workplaces, and community centers without legal authorization, often using intimidation tactics to gain access.
Illegal Searches in Immigrant Communities
In Los Angeles and Miami, ICE has conducted sweeps in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, stopping people at random and demanding identification. Advocacy groups report that many people detained had no criminal record and were legal residents or naturalized citizens.
Civil rights lawyers have called these violations of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unlawful searches and seizures.
Source:
Reuters - "ICE Raids Continue Despite Legal Challenges Over Warrantless Searches"
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-agents-raid-new-jersey-business-detaining-migrants-citizens-mayor-says-2025-01-24
Fear and Chaos in Communities
The impact of these raids extends beyond the people detained. Families have been separated, workplaces have been shut down, and communities are living in constant fear of the next raid.
New York City: People Afraid to Leave Their Homes
Reports from NYC indicate that many undocumented immigrants are too afraid to go to work, send their children to school, or seek medical care, fearing they could be detained.
"We feel like we are being hunted," said one undocumented restaurant worker who now avoids going outside.
Source:
New York Post - "ICE Raids in NYC Leave Communities Living in Fear"
https://nypost.com/2025/01/28/us-news/nyc-locals-shocked-by-immigration-raids-and-the-gangbanger-in-their-midst-thank-god-they-got-him
The Bigger Picture: A Push Toward Mass Deportations
ICE’s current operations mirror past historical purges of immigrants and marginalized groups. The scale and aggression of these raids recall dark periods of U.S. history, such as:
The Mexican Repatriation (1930s) – Over 1 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans (including U.S. citizens) were forcibly deported during the Great Depression.
The Palmer Raids (1920s) – Thousands of immigrants, particularly those of Eastern European descent, were arrested without evidence and deported.
Japanese Internment (1940s) – The forced imprisonment of over 120,000 Japanese-Americans, many of whom were U.S. citizens, under the guise of "national security."
Historians warn that the current mass detentions could be laying the groundwork for a new era of systemic persecution.
Source:
TIME Magazine - "Historians Warn of Chilling Parallels Between ICE Raids and Past Mass Deportations"
https://time.com/2025/01/28/historians-warn-parallels-between-ice-raids-and-mass-deportations
What You Can Do
Know Your Rights – If ICE knocks on your door, you are not required to answer or let them in without a warrant.
Help Document Raids – Many legal groups recommend recording ICE interactions when safe to do so.
Support Legal Aid Groups – Organizations like the ACLU and RAICES provide legal defense for those wrongfully detained.
Call Elected Officials – Demand investigations into warrantless ICE raids and constitutional violations.
The expansion of mass raids, the detention of U.S. citizens, and the targeting of Indigenous communities show how quickly civil rights can erode when fear replaces due process. The time to resist these abuses is now.
Sources
Newsweek - https://www.newsweek.com/ice-expands-immigration-raids-us-citizens-detained-2025-01-27
New York Magazine - https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/ice-agents-detain-american-citizens-in-newark-raid.html
CNN - https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/27/us/navajo-detained-ice-indigenous-immigration-trump/index.html
Reuters - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-agents-raid-new-jersey-business-detaining-migrants-citizens-mayor-says-2025-01-24
TIME Magazine - https://time.com/2025/01/28/historians-warn-parallels-between-ice-raids-and-mass-deportations
