A shocking video captured at a construction site in Foley, Alabama, has sparked outrage across TikTok and Reddit after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were filmed violently detaining a man, who, as his co-workers shouted in real time, is a U.S. citizen.
The 42-second clip, initially posted to TikTok and later circulated widely on Reddit, shows the man being pinned and dragged away by ICE officers while visibly distressed co-workers plead with agents: “He’s a citizen! What you’re doing is illegal!” The agents do not respond. The man, who reportedly showed no resistance, was taken into custody and held for hours before being released, only after his citizenship was confirmed.
This isn’t a case of mistaken identity easily resolved with an apology. It’s a symptom of what critics call systemic dysfunction and institutional overreach. According to a Reddit user, anansi52, who commented on the viral thread: “The people getting kidnapped need to start treating these kidnappers like kidnappers.” That comment, upvoted over 4,000 times, echoes a widespread sentiment: ICE is operating outside the bounds of legal process, and communities are beginning to call it what it looks like: state-sanctioned kidnapping.
“Welcome to Clown World”
Other users were quick to point out that this isn’t an isolated incident. Commentor9001 noted, “The vast majority of the ‘very dangerous cartel members’ sent to El Salvador have no criminal conviction… DHS said that not having a record proves how dangerous they are to America. This is clown world.”
The man detained in Alabama reportedly had previously posted TikToks showing his U.S. passport. He had even recently vacationed in Mexico, re-entering the country legally. None of that prevented ICE from apprehending him during his shift.
“They’re Going After Easy Targets”
Another Redditor observed “I think they’re targeting easy targets. People who are following the legal means to obtain citizenship/visa are easy to find.” In other words, it’s less about criminal activity and more about visible vulnerability—people who won’t, or can’t, resist.
Others in the thread drew stark historical comparisons, referencing tactics used in authoritarian regimes. “We are watching America’s collapse in real time,” warned brand_new_nalgene, drawing parallels between this situation and the fall of Rome.
Ironically, ICE was originally split from the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to ensure fairness and clarity in how immigration law is enforced. But users like ericscal argue that mission has been obliterated: “ICE was created so people could attend USCIS appointments without fear of being deported. This administration is destroying decades of work that can most likely never be repaired.”
The incident also exposes the failings of internal safeguards. If a U.S. citizen can be snatched from his jobsite and detained without immediate access to verification or legal counsel, what protections remain for non-citizens, many of whom are in the midst of legal immigration proceedings?
With ICE continuing aggressive workplace raids and facing little meaningful oversight, the question isn’t just how this happened, but how many more times it already has.
