ICE agents have long been seen by many as dangerous figures, people who could appear without warning and take someone away in an instant. Their reputation, in the eyes of critics, is one built on fear and intimidation. Many believe they often ignore proper laws and due process, leaving behind communities filled with anxiety and distrust. Still, despite that negative image, there remains a group of people who continue to support them wholeheartedly. In particular, some Trump and MAGA supporters seem to take pride in the actions and power that ICE represents. For a group of students in Wisconsin, this attitude turned into something far more visual and controversial. Members of the UWEC Republicans, based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, decided to take their admiration for ICE a step further by dressing up as immigration agents for Halloween.
The incident took place during a Halloween party where two students thought it would be funny or clever to stage a mock arrest. One student dressed up as an ICE agent, while another played the role of a person being detained. The “agent” wore a makeshift tactical vest with the word ICE taped across it and completed the costume with a mask decorated in the design of the American flag. The “detainee,” meanwhile, wore regular clothing and was handcuffed by the ICE-costumed student as they posed together for a photo.
That photo was quickly shared online, and the backlash was immediate. Many people, including those on Reddit, were outraged at what they saw as an incredibly insensitive act. The image of students treating a symbol of fear and trauma for so many immigrant families as a Halloween joke did not sit well with anyone outside of their circle.
“Celebrating cruelty is pretty par for the course with young conservatives,” one Reddit user wrote. “The ones galvanized enough to join the campus TPUSA are probably some of the most extreme people I met in my time at school.”
Others echoed the same frustration, pointing out how inappropriate the act was given the real-life suffering caused by ICE’s actions. Families have been torn apart, children separated from their parents, and people detained for months or years, all of which made the UWEC Republicans’ decision to turn such pain into a joke even harder to stomach.
Still, many commenters admitted they were not surprised. The group’s reputation on campus and beyond has been well known across Wisconsin for years. They have consistently aligned themselves with far-right politics, staunchly supporting Trump, MAGA, and other conservative figures. For many, this kind of stunt only confirmed what they already believed about the organization.
“UWEC Republicans have always been trash,” another user said. “I remember their Scott Walker bootlicking back in the day. It makes sense that their ideology has only gotten worse over the past decade.”
Some people expressed exhaustion more than anger. They could not understand why anyone would find joy in mocking others’ suffering. “I just do not understand MAGA,” one Redditor wrote. “They celebrate cruelty and plaster Joe Biden stickers on their trucks just to get a reaction. They seem obsessed with making other people angry instead of finding happiness for themselves. For Halloween, I am going as Doctor Who, a show that brings me genuine joy. Why revel in misery when you could have joy?”
