Understanding ICE's Powers: What You Need to Know

ICE agents have been making headlines lately, and not in a good way.

• Stopping, questioning, and detaining people in Minneapolis.
• Videos shared online show agents taking a U.S. citizen out of his house in his underwear during freezing weather.
• A father was briefly detained and zip-tied after an agent accused him of not being a U.S. citizen because of his accent.
• Reports of ICE using a 5-year-old boy to lure his family outside before taking them into custody.

What Can ICE Actually Do?

ICE can arrest and detain people suspected of breaking immigration laws.

• Fourth Amendment rights protect everyone, including immigrants, from unreasonable searches and seizures.
• ICE can question someone in public, but they need reasonable suspicion to detain them.
• Reasonable suspicion is more than just a guess; it requires evidence of a crime.

Entering Someone's Home

• Generally, ICE needs a warrant signed by a judge to enter a private home.
• Exceptions include violent crimes in progress or medical emergencies.
• Controversial use of administrative warrants issued by ICE itself.

Legal Challenges and Compensation

• Federal law generally prohibits civil lawsuits against federal officials for violating people's rights.
• Exceptions exist, but they're not straightforward.
• Most people can't afford to hire a lawyer to fight these cases.