“Where were you born? Don’t lie to me,” is the last thing any American citizen wants to hear while being questioned. ICE, which has been regularly accused of racially profiling citizens, rarely expresses kindness toward those it targets. In videos like this one, their methods seem to make less sense day after day. Especially when they try to detain people who are here legally, such as this California local, who wasn’t only questioned but threatened in the same breath.
“I’m from California,” the man in the video can be heard responding. After the ICE agent warns him not to lie, he repeats his answer. In response, the agent says, “Okay, so we’re going to take you in and verify your name.” Knowing that ICE is disappearing people without a trace, these words would strike fear into anyone’s heart. “No, you’re not, dude, no, you’re not. I haven’t done anything wrong,” the man in custody says.
The ICE agent holds up a phone, indicating the man is in the picture he shows. It’s unclear what the photo is, but it’s clear that the agents are suspicious of the man’s identity. The agent says, “Open up. Turn around, or you’re going to get the dog.” The video ends here, with the California native reiterating that he hasn’t done anything wrong.
For viewers watching the video, one thing stood out: the appearance of the ICE agent. “The number of Latino ICE agents is very confusing to me,” one Reddit user says. Another replies, “That ice agent sounds and looks Mexican to me…” One more adds to this, saying, “An immigrant deporting immigrants is wild.”
Most expressed anger over the situation, and especially the use of dogs. One user asked what this entailed. A user responded, saying, “A canine that will sink teeth into flesh until the ‘suspect’ complies.” Many compared ICE’s actions to Hitler’s Germany, saying things like, “Anyone want to go watch the Nuremberg Trials?” and “Now we know how Hitler came into power.”
