They kill Americans in the streets, masked agents who spread terror and take children. There is nothing left that can still surprise, and terrify, about the second Trump administration. But where does all this hatred come from? And why?
The killing of Renee Good a few weeks ago by an agent ofImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and by Alex Pretti a few hours ago, as well as the frequent and violent clashes of ICE itself on the streets of the United States and their attacks – even on the press – show everything that is crumbling before our eyes: the rule of law, the freedom to protest and even the right to walk or drive safely, without being attacked. And it’s terrifying.
The most disturbing aspect of all this is how quickly it happens. But did it really happen overnight? The truth is, for a government agency like ICE to become a fearsome and powerful paramilitary force, it takes time: ICE may seem to have come out of nowhere, but the kind of authoritarianism that leads to these crackdowns has actually taken shape slowly and in a way that is clearly traceable over time. All in the extreme silent tranquility of the stars and stripes.
Where did ICE come from?
ICE was founded in 2003, together with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ai Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and the consequent reorganization of the US security apparatus. The declared objective was to strengthen national security, giving greater centrality to border control and the expulsion of immigrants considered a threat.
From the beginning, however, ICE became one of the most controversial agencies in the federal system. The increase in deportations during the Obama administration (yes, him) led some activists to call the then president “deporter in chiefBut it is with Donald Trump that ICE has taken on an openly political and bellicose dimension.
During his first term, Trump promised an unprecedented expansion of the agency, with the hiring of 10,000 new agents and the deportation of all illegal immigrants, canceling the priority given by previous administrations only to those deemed dangerous. ICE has thus become the symbol of an aggressive migration policy, causing a clear split in public opinion: for many Republicans, ICE represents a necessary tool for enforcing the law; for most democrats and civil rights movements, however, he is the face of repression and nothing more.
With Trump’s second term, ICE has returned to the center of an even more radical strategy. In Los Angeles, in June 2025, ICE raids sparked mass protests. And today it’s Minneapolis’ turn.
The ICE, born as a technical tool for border control, has become, in short, the symbol of a profound political and cultural clash. It is no longer just a federal agency, but the battleground between two opposing visions of America. On the one hand the idea of security as total repression, on the other that of rights as a pillar of democracy.
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And this is precisely its most disturbing legacy: ICE is not just divided about immigrants, but about what it means to be a rule of law today.
Threats to Rai journalists
This was confirmed by Laura Cappon and Daniele Babbo, correspondents of In half an hour. What emerges from the images shot is exactly the photograph of the hostile climate towards those who try to document. In their videos you can clearly see how the ICE agents carried out real encirclement maneuvers to block the cars that were following the operations.
The threats are explicit: shatter the windows, forcibly pull out the occupants, stop them if they continued to film what was happening. Heavy words, which make it clear how thin the line has become between application of the law and abuse of power. Journalists talk about a precise strategy: isolate those who observe, push them onto secondary roads, put them in difficulty, make them afraid. In practice, prevent anyone from being able to tell what happens.
It is a disturbing passage, because when the work of the press is (also) hindered, it is everyone’s problem. Freedom of information is one of the pillars of every democracy and the fact that it is put under pressure with such intimidating methods, in countries like the United States then…, should raise more than one alarm bell.
