ICE violence escalates across America: ‘It is reminiscent of Nazi Gestapo’
Violence between US civilians and federal ICE Agents on the streets of America continues, but are officers acting on immigration concerns, or as Donald Trump’s private militia?
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In brief…
- Donald Trump’s administration continues to back ICE Agents in the wake of the killing of unarmed mum Renee Nicole Good, telling officers they have immunity from prosecution.
- Footage of violent clashes has angered people on the left and right of US politics, with comparisons made between ICE agents and the Nazi Gestapo secret police of World War II
- The News Agents believe violence will continue in the short term, but longer term predict Trump will use ICE agents to deter people in Democrat states from voting in this year’s midterm elections.
What’s the story?
To many, the only thing more chilling than video footage of an unarmed mum in a car full of stuffed toys being shot dead by ICE agents in America is the response of the US administration.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Renee Nicole Good, shot dead by ICE officers in Minnesota after dropping her child at school, a "deranged lunatic".
Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has told ICE agents they have "federal immunity" from criminal charges, and that "no leftist agitator or domestic insurrectionist" could stop them from carrying out their duties.
“The Trump administration's response to all of this, is to basically say: 'ICE, lads, do what you want',” says Lewis Goodall.
“When you have an arm of law enforcement, which increasingly is being treated by the national government as their personal militia, which has complete federal immunity.”
That, he adds, is “illegal nonsense”.
Recent video footage has shown ICE officers dragging women from their cars, or allegedly carrying citizens away for filming them on a phone.
“Donald Trump promised in the 2024 presidential election that he was going to get rid of the gang leaders and the drug cartels – and I think there was widespread support for that,” says Jon Sopel.
“But now people are being stopped on the street, not because they are under suspicion of being illegal immigrants, they're being held under suspicion of being brown or black.”
Since the killing of Good, a 37-year-old mum of three, on 7 January 2026, protests have taken place against the presence of ICE in US cities, including her home of Minnesota, where its agents have continued to arrest civilians.
Are comparisons between ICE and Nazi Gestapo justified?
ICE incidents across the US have not only angered Democrats and America’s left-wing – even Republicans and MAGA supporters have spoken of their horror at the scenes unfolding across the country.
This includes right-wing podcaster Joe Rogan, who has referred to ICE as Trump’s “Gestapo”, a reference to secret police of Nazi Germany – with which Lewis agrees.
“When you have a militarised police force operating in this fashion, targeting people who the government itself is targeting in the most appalling possible terms, that is far right,” he says.
“That is reminiscent of a Gestapo.”
Despite America having a “profoundly authoritarian streak”, he adds that it also remains profoundly libertarian.
“The idea of a federal police force turning up on American streets, asking people for their identity papers does not sit at all with American political culture or American political history,” he adds.
“That is not how Americans operate, or that political culture operates.”
The Trump administration, he says, is “punch drunk on its own success” after a long period of self-radicalisation.
“They are failing to see how they are being perceived, not by the left, not by the radical left, not by the Democrats, but by your everyday ordinary American who might have liked lots of the things Trump stood for.
“This ain't a strong border. This is attacking and victimising citizens in their own homes, that's a different thing.”
Trump, Jon adds, is saying simply that America is a federal police state and he will do what he likes.
What comes next?
The News Agents believe violence on US streets will continue in the short term, but say there may be even more insidious implications further down the line, especially surrounding the 2026 midterm elections – which Lewis expects Trump to use ICE to disrupt.
This, he says, would be as simple as suggesting Democrat states were facing election interference from migrant populations, then posting ICE agents at polling stations in the pretence of policing this, but ultimately to deter people turning out for fear of being frisked, assaulted or worse.
“This is a midterm election that Donald Trump cannot afford to lose,” Jon Sopel says.
“If he cannot afford to lose, what is he prepared to do to ensure that he doesn't lose?
“That could take you to a pretty dark place in the history of US democracy.”