By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The article features a former ICE agent named Peter, who reflects on the recent shooting of Renee Good by another ICE agent and contrasts it with his own experiences. He believes the incident should have been handled differently, but that the agent, Ross, may have feared for his life when the car moved towards him. Peter expresses concerns about the increasingly polarized political climate surrounding ICE, highlighting the dangerous conditions agents now face under aggressive operations. Ultimately, he believes that the situation is worsening due to the lack of a middle ground, and is concerned about the future.
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I was an ICE agent, and let me tell you, what’s been happening with immigration policy under Trump? It’s simply crazy. Not just flawed or misguided, but genuinely, profoundly crazy. The whole approach feels less like a coherent immigration strategy and more like a deliberate dismantling of any semblance of order, humanity, and respect for the law. It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion, and as someone who’s seen the system from the inside, it’s a terrifying spectacle. The whole thing has taken on the feel of a fascist takeover, using immigration as the wedge issue.
The thing is, it’s not actually *about* immigration. If it were, we’d be talking about streamlining the process, making it easier for people to navigate the system, not erecting barriers and dehumanizing those caught in the crosshairs. Think about it: what if, instead of an agency focused on taking people away, we had one that helped them? Assisted with court hearings, explained their options, helped them access available services? It would pay for itself. Most people want to contribute to the economy, pay taxes, and live peacefully. Instead, the government is creating a climate of fear, and that is not the America I believe in.
Looking back, the signs were there. Even well before the actual implementation of this policy, it was easy to see where things were heading. The separation of families at the border, the cages, the travel bans… these weren’t accidents. They were deliberate choices, signaling a shift toward a more aggressive, punitive approach. And it was all designed to stoke fear and hatred. We shouldn’t need a “working class traitor” to tell us what is obvious.
It’s been a descent into madness. Seeing people, including long-term residents and even American citizens, targeted based on their ethnicity and background, that’s not what America is about. Comparing a 37-year-old mother to a criminal is not rational, yet that is exactly what the system has become. The current administration has used a manufactured crisis to gain support from their base and to allow for an enforcement arm that answers to no one. It’s straight from a textbook on how to take over a country and remove those deemed “other.”
The reality is, the vast majority of people are just trying to live their lives, and that includes immigrants and asylum seekers. They’re not criminals, they’re people seeking a better life or escaping persecution. Yet, the current administration has decided to dehumanize them, to treat them as threats, and it’s a fundamental betrayal of American values. It’s a sad state of affairs when we have to remind ourselves that this is a country of immigrants.
I saw it firsthand: the pressure to meet quotas, the dehumanizing language, the dismissive attitude towards the people we were dealing with. It fostered an environment where abuses of power became almost commonplace. The goal was to remove people, not to uphold the law or even to make communities safer. It was about creating a spectacle, a show of force, and it worked.
I remember thinking about how different things could be. The system could be so much more efficient and humane if we focused on processing people quickly and fairly. Instead, resources were diverted to create more chaos and more fear. The consequences of these decisions are far-reaching. The cost of operations is mostly unknown as the current regime doesn’t share much with the public.
One of the most disturbing aspects is the constant sanitization of the administration’s actions in the media. It’s impossible to keep up with the lies. It’s exhausting, so a lot of people just give up and believe the false statements. It’s a complete lack of journalistic integrity. It’s crazy that so much of the global media continues to treat this as “normal.”
What I saw in the ranks was also troubling. There was a lack of adequate training and a tendency to view everyone as a potential threat. A former colleague, “Peter”, who served under multiple presidents, recently spoke of his experience. He recounted an instance where he pulled his weapon, and he has spoken about how this administration’s policies are “totally crazy.” The current administration encouraged a “go get ’em” mentality. It was inevitable that mistakes would be made and people would get hurt. The media would have you believe those officers are heroes, and the victims are terrorists.
I know some people might say, “Well, they’re just doing their jobs.” But that’s not a defense. Everyone has a responsibility to their conscience, and many of the decisions being made were morally reprehensible. I walked out of a job that I never felt good doing. You have to weigh the pros and cons of your work.
I saw the system firsthand, and I can tell you that it’s broken. It’s not about borders or security. It’s about control, and it’s a dangerous path to be on. I fear that the end of this administration will be the beginning of something truly frightening.