Murder of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Goode in Minneapolis It sparked protests and led to criticism of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE has arrested thousands of people since Trump returned to the White House, often in public places.
Due to these actions, a large number of agents have been deployed across the country, which has caused resistance from some residents who oppose their activities.
What is ICE and when was it formed?
ICE is leading the implementation of the Trump administration's mass deportation initiative, which was a central promise of his election campaign.
Trump has significantly expanded ICE, its budget, and its mission since returning to the White House.
The agency enforces immigration laws and conducts investigations into undocumented immigrants.
It also plays a role in the expulsion of undocumented immigrants from the US.
ICE was formed under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
This law created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with ICE as one of its branches.
Watch the moment a US immigration agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis
What powers does ICE have to arrest people?
ICE considers its mission to encompass both public safety and national security.
However, its powers are different from a regular local police department in the US.
Its agents have the power to stop, detain, and arrest people they suspect of being in the US illegally.
Crucially, however, they do not have the authority to arrest American citizens, except in special circumstances, such as when a person obstructs an arrest or assaults an agent.
Despite this, according to the news organization ProPublica, there were more than 170 incidents during the first nine months of Trump's presidency when federal agents detained American citizens against their will.
Among these cases are Americans suspected of being undocumented immigrants.
What authority does ICE have to use force?
ICE's use of force is governed by a mix of the U.S. Constitution, U.S. laws, and Department of Homeland Security guidelines.
Under the Constitution, law enforcement “may use deadly force only if the person poses a serious danger to themselves or others, or the person has committed a violent crime,” says Chris Slobogin, director of the Criminal Justice Program at Vanderbilt University School of Law.
But the Supreme Court has historically tended to be broadly lenient toward law enforcement officers who make snap decisions without the benefit of hindsight.
A 2023 DHS policy memo states that federal law enforcement “may use deadly force only when necessary,” when an officer has “reasonable suspicion that the subject of such force poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm” to themselves or another person.
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Where does ICE operate?
ICE usually operates within the US, but it also has agents abroad.
Its sister agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, technically patrols the American border.
But the boundaries of those roles have become increasingly blurred, as the Trump administration has pulled agents from many federal law enforcement agencies to participate in immigration enforcement.
Border Patrol officers are increasingly operating inside the U.S., participating in raids alongside ICE.
ICE and other agencies have sent hundreds of officers to cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, in partnership with other federal law enforcement agencies.
The Associated Press reports that as many as 2.000 federal officers will be sent to Minneapolis as part of the latest operation.
What happens to people who are detained by ICE?
Hundreds of thousands of people have been deported since Trump returned to the White House.
The administration said it deported 605.000 people between January 20 and December 10, 2025.
She also announced that 1,9 million people had "voluntarily self-deported," after an aggressive campaign that encouraged people to leave the country on their own to avoid arrest or detention.
An immigrant who encounters ICE can face a variety of outcomes.
Sometimes an individual is temporarily detained and then released after questioning.
In other circumstances, ICE will detain and transfer the person to a larger detention facility, of which there are several throughout the United States.
And while many immigrants continue to fight for legal status while in detention, if they are unsuccessful, they could ultimately be deported.
As of November 30, 2025, there were about 65.000 in ICE custody, according to data obtained by the Immigration Clearinghouse Transactional Access Project, a government data review from Syracuse University.
Immigration lawyers tell the BBC that once ICE detains someone, it can sometimes be days before families or lawyers know where they are.
What are the criticisms of ICE and what kind of resistance have the agents encountered?
Many communities resist when ICE and partner agencies, such as the Border Patrol, conduct operations.
It is now common for residents to film ICE agents as they make arrests.
Some encounters between ICE agents and protesters have been aggressive and violent.
During ICE operations in Chicago, Illinois, a collective of media organizations sued the Border Patrol.
They claim that agents used excessive force against journalists, religious leaders and protesters.
A federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, but an appeals court overturned her order.
The Minneapolis shooting is not the first time someone has been shot during an immigration enforcement operation.
In October, there were two incidents in Los Angeles where agents shot at drivers, the Los Angeles Times reported.
DHS said that in both cases, the drivers endangered agents with their own vehicles.
ICE agents and other immigration officials have been criticized for wearing masks while conducting operations.
DHS officials have defended the practice, saying it protects agents from “doxing"or harassment.
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What are Americans' views on ICE and deportations?
Americans have a complicated relationship with Trump's immigration policy, polls suggest.
Just over half of Americans believe some level of deportation is necessary, according to an October 2025 poll from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center.
That's roughly the same number Pew recorded the previous March.
But the same poll shows that Americans are concerned about Trump's methods.
She suggested that a majority of American adults, 53 percent, believe the Trump administration is doing "too much" to deport undocumented immigrants.
About 36 percent supported this approach.
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