Immigration Policy

Two U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis in January 2026. — Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot by an ICE agent on January 7, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was shot by a Border Patrol officer on January 24 during protests against the enforcement operation; Secretary Kristi Noem initially called both "domestic terrorism," a characterization the administration later walked back as scrutiny grew, while video evidence analyzed by reporters cast doubt on officials' account that Good's vehicle struck an agent (New York Times; BBC; The Independent).

Senators from both parties challenged Noem directly over the Minneapolis deaths. — At a March 2026 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Noem stood by her "domestic terrorism" characterization and described the scene as "chaotic," while Sen. Amy Klobuchar told her "you've killed them," and the Los Angeles Times reported Senate Republicans joined Democrats in pressing Noem on the shootings (Los Angeles Times; CBC).

ICE vehicle pursuits have killed bystanders with no connection to the person being sought. — A February 2026 chase of a man with no criminal record ended when he ran a red light in Georgia and killed teacher Dr. Linda Davis; Human Rights Watch documented a broader pattern of pursuit-related deaths and injuries, including to children, and called for stricter DHS pursuit rules, while a DHS spokesperson blamed "politicians and the media" for encouraging resistance to agents and ICE disputed that the incident was a "chase" at all (Human Rights Watch; Newsmax).

Several people killed during enforcement stops were not the actual target of the operation. — In Biddeford, Maine on July 13, 2026, ICE fatally shot a man whom agents had mistaken for someone else at a surveilled address, and a Virginia man, Jose Castro-Rivera, was struck and killed by traffic in October 2025 after fleeing a vehicle stop; DHS has repeatedly said the people involved "weaponized" vehicles or resisted, while outside reporting has sometimes found video evidence undercutting those claims (The Guardian; ABC News).

Deaths inside ICE detention facilities have also climbed. — KFF found 46 people died in ICE custody between the start of the second Trump administration (January 2025) and March 18, 2026, alongside lawsuits and court rulings over inadequate medical care at several facilities, as the detained population grew more than 70% over the same period (KFF).

A U.S. citizen was killed by a DHS agent in Texas in March 2025, months before the Minneapolis shootings drew national attention. — Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, was fatally shot after allegedly striking an agent with his vehicle during a traffic-control operation; records identifying him as a U.S. citizen were disclosed nearly a year later, in February 2026 (Al Jazeera).

Border encounters have fallen to historic lows. — Southwest border apprehensions in FY2025 totaled 237,538, the lowest level since 1970, and CBP recorded roughly 60,940 nationwide encounters in the first two months of FY2026 (USAFacts).

ICE detention and removals have risen sharply. — There were 70,805 people in ICE detention as of December 31, 2025 — up 74% year-over-year — and ICE removed 144,378 people between October 2025 and January 2026, putting the agency on pace to exceed 430,000 removals for FY2026, still short of its stated 1-million target (USAFacts; Washington Times).

Public opinion is divided and sensitive to framing. — A July 2026 Gallup poll found 73% of Americans view immigration as good for the country, but only 49% support hiring more Border Patrol agents (down from 59% a year earlier), while 58% oppose deporting all undocumented immigrants; support for deportation drops further when pollsters specify long-term, law-abiding residents (Gallup).

Views on the administration's deportation pace remain split along partisan lines. — A Pew Research Center survey from April 2026 found 52% of U.S. adults say the Trump administration is doing "too much" to deport immigrants living in the country illegally, including 84% of Democrats versus 19% of Republicans, while a growing share of Republicans (28%) now say it is doing "too little" (Pew Research Center).