ICE Use of Force Rises in U.S. Immigration Raids, ACLU Report Shows

An ACLU review of more than 1,200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations conducted from January to December 2025 across eight states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland and New Mexico—found that force or threats of force were used in nearly one‑third of the raids. The analysis documented over 400 instances of agents pushing, tackling or pinning individuals, roughly the same number of incidents involving chemical irritants, rubber bullets and tasers, as well as dozens of vehicle‑related tactics such as boxing in cars, rammings and forced extractions.

A separate incident captured on video in Passaic, New Jersey on July 13, 2026 shows a man repeatedly asking ICE agents to verify his identity before being detained by multiple agents. The footage, which went viral, sparked widespread public fear and criticism, with commentators likening the agents to “Nazis” and questioning ICE’s practice of detaining individuals without first checking identification. The man's immigration status remains unclear, and ICE has not commented on the case, heightening concerns about the agency’s enforcement methods.