The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has a dismal record of accountability when it comes to its agents' use of deadly force. Over the past decade, at least 25 people have been killed by ICE agents in shootouts, and yet not a single agent has faced criminal charges. This staggering lack of accountability is a symptom of a broader problem: an entrenched culture of impunity that allows ICE agents to operate with relative impunity.
ICE's use-of-force policies are outdated and lack transparency. The agency operates under an interim policy from 2004, which was last reviewed by the DHS Inspector General's Office in 2023. However, the results of these reviews are not made public, and it is unclear whether any changes have been made to the policies since then.
The case of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7, highlights this issue. The shooting was captured on video, but the narrative presented by the White House and Department of Homeland Security claims that Ross acted in self-defense. However, visual investigations have revealed apparent contradictions between this narrative and what actually happened.
ICE agents are largely protected by qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields them from civil lawsuits for constitutional violations committed in the course of their duty. This has allowed agents to avoid accountability even when they have been accused of wrongdoing.
In recent years, state and local law enforcement agencies have consistently cleared ICE agents of wrongdoing after shootings, often citing lack of jurisdiction or the need for further investigation. However, this trend is unlikely to change anytime soon, given the Trump administration's efforts to shield ICE agents from prosecution.
The lack of accountability is not limited to ICE agents alone. The FBI, which investigates these incidents, has a history of slow-walking its investigations and rarely releasing results to the public. This has led to a perception that these agencies are above the law, with little incentive for agents to act with restraint in situations where deadly force may be necessary.
The situation is further complicated by the growing trend of shielding federal agents from prosecution. In 2023, President Trump instructed officials to protect ICE agents accused of crimes, and Vice President JD Vance has since referred to them as having "absolute immunity." This is a new term with no legal basis, and it raises serious concerns about the erosion of accountability in our justice system.
In conclusion, the lack of accountability among ICE agents is a symptom of a broader problem: an entrenched culture of impunity that allows federal agencies to operate with relative impunity. It will require sustained pressure from civil society, lawmakers, and law enforcement reform advocates to ensure that these agencies are held accountable for their actions and that justice is served.
ICE's use-of-force policies are outdated and lack transparency. The agency operates under an interim policy from 2004, which was last reviewed by the DHS Inspector General's Office in 2023. However, the results of these reviews are not made public, and it is unclear whether any changes have been made to the policies since then.
The case of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7, highlights this issue. The shooting was captured on video, but the narrative presented by the White House and Department of Homeland Security claims that Ross acted in self-defense. However, visual investigations have revealed apparent contradictions between this narrative and what actually happened.
ICE agents are largely protected by qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields them from civil lawsuits for constitutional violations committed in the course of their duty. This has allowed agents to avoid accountability even when they have been accused of wrongdoing.
In recent years, state and local law enforcement agencies have consistently cleared ICE agents of wrongdoing after shootings, often citing lack of jurisdiction or the need for further investigation. However, this trend is unlikely to change anytime soon, given the Trump administration's efforts to shield ICE agents from prosecution.
The lack of accountability is not limited to ICE agents alone. The FBI, which investigates these incidents, has a history of slow-walking its investigations and rarely releasing results to the public. This has led to a perception that these agencies are above the law, with little incentive for agents to act with restraint in situations where deadly force may be necessary.
The situation is further complicated by the growing trend of shielding federal agents from prosecution. In 2023, President Trump instructed officials to protect ICE agents accused of crimes, and Vice President JD Vance has since referred to them as having "absolute immunity." This is a new term with no legal basis, and it raises serious concerns about the erosion of accountability in our justice system.
In conclusion, the lack of accountability among ICE agents is a symptom of a broader problem: an entrenched culture of impunity that allows federal agencies to operate with relative impunity. It will require sustained pressure from civil society, lawmakers, and law enforcement reform advocates to ensure that these agencies are held accountable for their actions and that justice is served.
they have no consequences for using deadly force on ppl. it's so messed up. the lack of transparency in their use-of-force policies is wild too. why can't we just have a fair system where ppl who do bad things face real punishment? 
the lack of transparency in those policies is insane, it's like they're trying to keep it all under wraps 
ICE agents have been getting away with using deadly force without any real consequences, it's insane! Like, what kind of culture allows people to just shoot and kill others without being held accountable? The fact that they're still using an outdated policy from 2004 is just ridiculous 
.
.
. I mean, come on, we need to see the footage for ourselves to figure out what really went down 
. It's all about accountability and making sure our law enforcement agencies are held to a higher standard 
. We can't let them get away with this impunity stuff... it's just not right 
.
. The fact that no one has faced criminal charges in all these high-profile cases is just crazy - it's like they're above the law 
. And the shielding of federal agents from prosecution? That's a whole different can of worms 
. I don't think anyone wants to live in a country where the government can just ignore the law and get away with it 
.
. We can't let these agencies operate with impunity and expect justice to be served. It's time for a change! 
. Like what's the point of having accountability if agents can just waltz back into work without facing any consequences? 
. I'm all for reform and accountability, but it's hard to see how we can get there when people are so invested in shielding these agents from any consequences 
. We need to keep pushing and make sure justice is served 
.
. I mean, can you imagine if it was the other way around and federal agents were held accountable for their actions? It would be huge news, you know? But no, because they have this "qualified immunity" thing going on, they get a blank check to do whatever they want 
.
. It's like they're living in a parallel universe or something 
.
. It's time for some real justice to be served 
. And those video things are always subjective anyway. We can't trust our own eyes anymore 
. We should be giving 'em a medal for keeping us safe, not asking them to take a hard look at themselves 
.
. I mean, Renee Nicole Good was just shot by an ICE agent and we don't even know the full story yet 
. It's like these agencies think they're above the law or something... no way José 
. I'm not buying the whole "self-defense" narrative either... visual investigations showed some major inconsistencies 
. And it's not like they're going to start holding them accountable anytime soon, thanks to Trump's efforts 
, we need to hold these agencies accountable for their actions and make sure justice is served 
They're already shielded from prosecution by Trump's admin and now VP Vance is spouting some nonsense about "absolute immunity". It's wild. And the fact that they're still using a 2004 policy that hasn't been reviewed in years? That's just crazy talk. We need to hold these people accountable for their actions, you know? 
. It's like they're above the law or something 
.
.
.
. But visual investigations have shown some pretty big discrepancies from the narrative 
.
. It's like these agencies think they're above the law 
. We need to keep pushing for reform and making sure that federal agents are held accountable for their actions 
And can we talk about how weird it is that the FBI always seems to slow down their investigations on these cases? Like, what's going on behind the scenes? 
The whole thing just feels so fishy to me. 
. and don't even get me started on qualified immunity - it's literally a shield for them to hide behind