The use of force has become a 'default tool' for ICE officers, a new report finds
Source: LAist/NPR
Published Jul 16, 2026 9:30 AM
In the aftermath of two killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in just over a week, a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union documents widespread use of force by the federal agency.
The report, released Thursday, looks at more than 1,200 immigration enforcement operations involving ICE officers or law enforcement working with ICE across eight states, beginning when President Donald Trump took office in January 2025 until the end of last year.
The findings underscore the concerns many immigrant advocates have raised repeatedly as the Trump administration continues its aggressive deportation campaign: Forceful, and even violent, immigration encounters are not rare. In fact, nearly a third of the incidents included in the research involved the use of force or the threat of force.
"You're seeing the threat of using force and actually using it become the default tool for immigration enforcement agents," says Naureen Shah, director of policy and government affairs for immigration at the ACLU and one of the authors of the report.
Read more: https://laist.com/news/politics/the-use-of-force-has-become-a-default-tool-for-ice-officers-a-new-report-finds
Link to ACLU PRESS RELEASE - New ACLU Report Documents Widespread and Unchecked Civil Rights Abuses by Immigration Agents in President Trump’s Second Term
Link to REPORT (PDF) - https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/07/agents-of-chaos-report.pdf
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