The Take Is ICE in the US operating as secret police?
Nov 19, 2025
Hannah Allam, a ProPublica national security and immigration reporter, dives into the controversial tactics of ICE. She explains how masked agents create confusion and fear during raids, often leading to dangerous situations. Allam reveals alarming practices like impersonation and the challenges families face post-arrest. She also discusses the agency's evolution into a more secretive force, diminished oversight, and the community's resistance through organizing and protests. Her first-hand reflections add depth to the alarming changes in immigration enforcement.
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Masked Raids Erode Public Trust
- Masked ICE arrests and unmarked vans create public confusion and fear during raids.
- Experts call this a new frontier of policing that reverses transparency and accountability norms.
Santa Ana 911 Calls Capture Panic
- In Santa Ana residents called 911 asking what to do after men were bundled into unmarked vans.
- Local officials tried ordinances but were told federal protocol prevented action.
Protection Argument Versus Authoritarian Optics
- DHS defends masking as agent protection despite optics of anonymity.
- Scholars warn this anonymity resembles tactics of repressive states and undermines democratic policing.