ICE agents have increasingly shown little restraint and even less concern for the people they are supposed to investigate. In the past, these agents were expected to focus on locating and apprehending individuals who were actually undocumented immigrants. This process required due diligence, proper investigation, and a commitment to due process to ensure they were detaining the correct individuals. However, ever since Trump returned to the presidency, their behavior has grown more erratic and aggressive, with some agents seemingly detaining anyone they personally deemed suspicious or “not white enough,” regardless of evidence. A recent incident in Raleigh, North Carolina, has become a clear example of these concerns.
A Hispanic man, who the agents appeared to assume was not white, was stopped and confronted by a group of ICE officers. The Raleigh man recorded part of the encounter, capturing the moment the agents shoved him and tossed his cards and personal papers onto the ground. According to the man, the officers had checked his IDs and paperwork before this, and only then realized he was an American citizen. Even after learning this, they still shoved him and threw his belongings to the ground before walking back to their vehicle. He was left standing there, angry and shouting in disbelief at how he had been treated.
The video quickly spread online, and many internet users voiced their outrage at what had taken place in Raleigh. To them, the actions of the ICE agents were completely unacceptable. Not only had they forcibly detained an American citizen based solely on his appearance, but they also showed blatant disregard for his personal property.
One user wrote, “This is absolutely sickening behavior. ICE agents deserve serious consequences and more for doing this to INNOCENT people. Our government needs to sue this administration for treating North Carolinians like animals.” The user went on to explain that they no longer feel safe going outside, even as a U.S. born citizen with a family of citizens.
They urged others to stand up against this treatment and pointed out that CBP officers had been in places like Cary and RTP, moving through businesses and looking for excuses to detain people. They questioned the purpose of citizenship if people can still be stopped and interrogated without cause, saying that appearance alone, such as not being white or “fully American,” should not justify this kind of treatment. They added that the way agents handled the man’s belongings showed an even deeper lack of respect.
Many demanded justice and called for the ICE agents involved to be punished. Yet many also acknowledged how unlikely accountability would be while Trump remains in power. As one Reddit user wrote, “This administration and the department of homeland security are an absolute stain on this nation. They are the worst of us and there’s going to be a deep, dark price to be paid by all of them.”
