A video in North Carolina is shining a harsh spotlight on ICE activity, where motorists filmed what appears to be a checkpoint set up directly along I-40/I-85, a scene many commenters described as dystopian and wildly unconstitutional.
The clip shows a driver easing past a cluster of ICE vehicles parked along the shoulder. Agents appear to be stopping cars at random, with users reporting similar activity across multiple stretches of highway throughout the morning of December 10, 2025. The comment section didn’t mince words, labeling the presence as ICE “abducting people and possibly setting up checkpoints to check people’s race.”
The thread exploded as more North Carolinians chimed in, sharing sightings of ICE units stationed near low-income neighborhoods, apartment complexes, and industrial corridors. Many described the pattern as less about crime and more about convenience:
“So they’re literally sitting on the side of the road looking for brown people.”
The footage left many stunned. “Imagine seeing this post a year ago. How unbelievable it would be in America,” said one commenter, reflecting the disbelief now spreading across social platforms.
Others pointed out that ICE has historically not had the legal authority to operate random highway checkpoints without specific, articulable cause. Redditors quickly noted the constitutional concerns:
“Fully unconstitutional to stop people for no reason on a highway.”
Multiple commenters claimed the stops resembled so-called “Kavanaugh Stops,” a slang term that has started circulating online to refer to race-based detentions under the guise of immigration enforcement.
One of the main themes throughout the discussion was frustration with ICE’s targeting priorities. Despite public rhetoric that emphasizes gang enforcement and violent offenders, Reddit users pointed out that the organization overwhelmingly detains people with no criminal record.
“They’re grabbing the easiest targets to hit their quotas.”
Perhaps the most alarming outcome of the viral thread is how normalized the fear has become. In communities surrounding Raleigh, Durham, Burlington, and Greensboro, commenters described people avoiding highways entirely, taking backroads, and staying home from work or school.
