Growing Governmental ICE
- Madison Shanfeld
- Sep 22
- 5 min read
Introduction
In modern media, it is common to see ICE, depicted as this new formidable force,
strapped with the newest guns, heavy vests, raiding in large groups; however, ICE, was created after the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks and passed in November of 2002. ICE was part of the Homeland Security Act, also known as the largest reorganization of the United States government since the creation of the Department of Defense. The Department of Homeland Security was established in March 2003, alongside ICE.
ICE’s primary purpose is to assist international investigations into criminal and terrorist organizations that aim to exploit or violate U.S. immigration laws and customs. Their role includes deportations as well as the conviction and detainment of illegal immigrants. They have a staff of over 2,000 individuals and 40 global offices, accompanied by a $ 28.7 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year.
Between its creation and modern events, ICE has greatly contributed to the safety of Americans in the United States, including busting 2000 human traffickers and identifying 400 victims in 2016.
In Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, or “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, signed in July of 2025 the budget for ICE tripled to the $28.7 billion dollar figure, previously floating between $8 to $10
billion dollars in the annual budget. Additionally, it provides $45 billion dollars, available through the 2029 fiscal year, to expand ICE’s deportation forces, and appropriates $30 billion for ICE enforcement operations and personnel. The increase of funding and appropriations to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement was achieved by taking money from other places, partly from the $1 trillion cut from medical care for children, the elderly, and the poor.
Under his administration, the amount of deportations has increased, with his personal request being around 3,000 per day, with the help of over 100 detention centers, located primarily in the southern region of the United States, including Southern California.
These are facts, not opinions; however, in the United States, this is a topic, ICE and general immigration laws, that is greatly contributing to the growing political polarization. The left and right have widely different views of the increase in budget and number of immigrants detained and deported by ICE.
Opinions of ICE from the Left
The left, or Democratic party, has had an innately negative reaction to the uptick in ICE funding and power. In recent developments, ICE is now allowed to racially profile when attempting to find illegal immigrants across the United States. The platform of the left in modern day is very centered around equality and minorities, by allowing racial profiling, members of the left see this as a direct contradiction of a main social part of their platform and fundamental political beliefs.
Unlike popular belief, members of the left are not typically advocating that all undocumented and illegal immigrants should be allowed to enter the country, but for there to be more regulation on ICE to ensure that only the illegal and violent immigrants are being affected and that the removal is not too inhumane, violent, or disruptive. Most recognize the mission of ICE, and don't always disagree. In fact, Obama, the Democratic president from January 2009 to January 2017, deported the most immigrants during his 8-year time in office. The lack of support is more about the levels, like the 3,000 deportations per day, and the programs losing money to further fund this system.
The Democratic party has social programs, like Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, etc, as a fundamental portion of their economic and social platform, so losing money to an initiative that most members don't fully agree with, or outwardly disagree with, solidifies its general stance against ICE. Furthermore, illegal immigrants pay taxes yet don't benefit from the social programs which hurts the level of effect for the democratic economic policy.
Traditionally leftist states and cities, like Los Angeles and New York, has had a plentitude of protests in contradiction to the raids, with it being a portion of the famous "All King's Day" protests against the general Trump Administration and expansion of executive power.
Opinions of ICE from the Right
Opinions of ICE from the right, or the Republican party, is less uniform than those from the left. The more reactionist right-winged voters in the United States, are the more traditional Americans in favor of ICE's increase in funding and power. They tend to have a strong support of Trump, his mission, and the decisions he makes while in office.
In general, the right runs on a strict immigration platform, which aligns with ICE's mission. Additionally, the support of Trump adds to the support from the right. Pew Research Center has concluded that 72% of Republicans and Republican leaning independents see ICE favorably.
In addition to the generally positive viewpoint of ICE, the right also has a favorable perspective on how it has grown recently, with 76% of Republicans or Republican leaning
citizens approving of workplace raids, 78% agreeing with the increased number of staff participating in the program, and 81% approval of the use of local and state government aid in the increased number of deportations. Their opinions can possibly be tracked to the ideas that increased deportations would strengthen the economy and benefit taxpayers because of the decreased competition for low-skilled jobs and the reduced burden on public services. This is logical, as low taxes or a low burden on taxpayers is an important part of the Republican platform.
However, this is not a unanimous opinion from the right; there is a some polarity on the subject of ICE within the right-wing. They tend to disagree with the targeting of non-violent immigrants, similarly to the left, and the idea that these aggressive enforcement tactics have led to the erosion of due process in the United States.
Juxtaposition and Political Thought
This section is more to prompt political thought and discussion, not to be a strictly informational section.
In the past several years, universities have been prevented from using affirmative action and DEI as heavily in their admissions processes; however, ICE has just been granted the ability to racially profile. Is the juxtaposition between what is allowed for university admission and ICE justified?
It is important to think about topics such as equal opportunity for all, racial differences, monetary differences, matters of national security, and the safety of the citizens.
To form a full opinion on this, I would recommend research on a variety of different bias sites. This includes sites such as Fox, CNN, and NYT. On The Political Pen, non-bias is promoted; however, typical news sites tend to lean one way or another on a political spectrum. Thus, it is important to practice reading a multitude of sites before formulating an opinion.
Conclusions
ICE isn't new, but its expanded budget and power are. News has latched onto the polarity of the issue as the left and the right have begun to more openly support and fight the expansions. The United Stats is currently seeing additional friction and further divide between the two parties as a result of ICE and immigration laws.
There will always be a middle ground on political issues; just because opinions from the left and right are highlighted here does not mean that you must fall completely to either side. It is possible to agree with both, or neither, or use the information provided to formulate your own unique viewpoint.
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