ICE claims that “70% of arrests are of criminal illegal aliens with charges or convictions.” However, other sources report the opposite, stating that roughly 70% of ICE arrests involve individuals without criminal charges. When you compare claims across sources, it becomes clear that government agencies and journalistic outlets often don’t align. This 70% statistic is not the only discrepancy. For example, Renee Good was called “deranged” and accused of “domestic terrorism” by the White House, but after multiple major news outlets released bystander footage, many people saw a different reality and were outraged over the unjust loss of a U.S. citizen. President Trump called Good’s death a tragedy and said he felt “terribly” about it, but he also defended ICE agents, saying they are “going to make mistakes sometimes” when dealing with difficult situations.
All in all, do your own research, challenge your sources, and never take the first thing you see about an event as a fact. Make sure the conclusion you land on won’t crumble when it’s challenged. Our current administration underestimates our ability to do this, and it’s their weakness.
People Utilizing the First Amendment
Across Texas, we are seeing protests in major cities: San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Houston, and El Paso, with marches in the streets, social media awareness, and even student-led walkouts. Our youth are using whatever voice they can find within themselves to stand for what they believe in.
On February 16, a small student anti-ICE rally congregated at Austin City Hall and marched to the Texas Capitol. This is only the most recent in a string of ICE protests at the Texas Capitol.
High school students in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio led walk-outs to protest ICE’s activity in their communities. However, Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened investigations into several districts and has threatened consequences for officials he says facilitated the walkouts. Our Governor has also threatened to reduce funding for schools where these protests occur and to arrest students who break the law during these demonstrations. This is an act of fear from our leaders. They’re fearful because these high school students are the future voters and workers for this country, and they won’t support what our government is facilitating right now. In a statement, Paxton said, “I will not allow Texas schools to become breeding grounds for the radical Left’s open borders agenda.”
In Hutchins, Texas, the Department of Homeland Security attempted to purchase a warehouse, and the real estate company has refused to sell or lease property to DHS because of the potential establishment of an ICE detention facility. However, DHS did not go through city officials to establish such a facility. In fact, they did not notify them at all. The DHS has made such attempts to acquire property in other cities as well. It is still possible that the federal government could use eminent domain, the power to take property without the owner’s consent, and move these facilities forward. Still, the refusal to sell property to DHS is a powerful form of protest.
Know Your Rights
As the situation unfortunately continues to escalate, it’s important to understand your rights; they are your power as an individual. There are many resources available on what to do when ICE visits your home or when you run into ICE on the street, but many people don’t realize they exist. Another strong method to propel change is to use your rights and make others aware of their own rights. Of course, for our vulnerable counterparts who are undocumented, the best course of action is to remain silent, refuse an unwarranted search, request legal counsel, and not risk further implication. For those of us who are in a position to speak up, that responsibility looks like informing others of their rights, documenting what we witness, and reporting wrongdoing when it occurs. However, even in tense situations, do not physically interfere or attempt to flee. Protect your own safety and the safety of the person involved.
ICE Will Melt
It’s important to understand that our government, even when it tries, cannot infringe on our rights as citizens. The rights to free speech and protest are the most vital to securing all our other liberties and the liberties of those around us. Keep challenging every point until you find the truth, and protest in small or big ways. Every conversation you have, every project you pour yourself into, has the power to push us forward or backward. It all matters. We’re creating an environment that makes it difficult for corrupt agencies to function. It’s getting warmer and warmer, and eventually ICE will melt.