This is the American immigration police ICE

TT

published 08.17

 

The American agency ICE works, among other things, to enforce immigration laws. Archive photo. Photo: Erin Hooley/AP/TT

Loud protests are spreading in the United States after a woman was shot dead by a federal agent.

The agent belongs to the controversial immigration police ICE.

It was on Wednesday that a 37-year-old woman in a car was shot dead by an ICE police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is accused by Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, of using the car as a weapon against the agents at the scene. At the same time, the ICE operation is being questioned by Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz.

ICE, which stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has received a growing budget since President Donald Trump took office for the second time. With most of the raids, the agency is at the forefront of Trump's campaign promise to deport migrants.

This summer, a campaign was launched to recruit 10,000 agents to the already 6,000 existing ones, reports the AFP news agency.

Response to September 11

The agency, which is under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was created as a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Since 2002, ICE has enforced immigration laws, investigated illegal immigration and participated in removing undocumented migrants from the country.

The work takes place within the country's borders, while the Customs and Border Protection agency mainly guards the country's border itself. The distinction has increasingly blurred under Trump's rule as various federal agents have been used to enforce immigration laws, reports the BBC.

Limited powers

The agents' powers differ from those of local police. They can stop and arrest people they suspect are in the United States illegally. However, they can only detain an American citizen if the person is resisting arrest or is violent.

Despite the restrictions, more than 170 citizens have been detained during Trump's first nine months, according to the investigative news site Propublica.

According to DHS, agents may only use deadly force if a person is deemed to pose an immediate threat of death or serious harm to someone, the AP news agency reports. Generally, deadly force may not be used to arrest someone or stop a fleeing vehicle if the person does not pose an immediate threat.

Fifth known death

The 37-year-old woman is at least the fifth person killed by an ICE agent since Trump took office, the AP reports. Most recently, a Mexican man was killed in Chicago in September.

Internal investigations into shootings are conducted by federal authorities, but states and local authorities can conduct criminal investigations. Agents are not immune from prosecution if they have acted outside their authority.