ACLU report says ICE force became routine in immigration raids

An ACLU report released Thursday found immigration officers used force or threats of force in nearly one-third of more than 1,200 enforcement operations across eight states during the first year of President Trump's return to office. The cases covered Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland and New Mexico from January 2025 through the end of 2025.

Researchers documented more than 400 incidents in which agents pushed, tackled or pinned people to the ground, and about as many involving chemical irritants, rubber bullets and tasers. The report also counted 53 episodes of cars being boxed in, 14 rammings, 76 instances of drivers or passengers being pulled from vehicles, 47 smashed windows and six cases in which people were hit by cars. The report said force and the threat of force were used as a default tool to secure immediate compliance rather than to answer danger.

The analysis drew on news coverage, press releases from schools and hospitals, and reports from community groups. Seth Stoughton, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, called it "embarrassing" that the ACLU, rather than DHS, had to gather and analyze the incidents. Naureen Shah of the ACLU said the findings fit a broader civil-rights problem inside an immigration enforcement system that has expanded sharply since Trump returned to office.

After fatal shootings in Houston on July 7 and in Biddeford, Maine, on July 14, ICE moved to halt or sharply limit most vehicle-related enforcement stops while Congress pressed for answers. The ACLU said 287(g) agreements put at least 77.2 million people in counties where local law enforcement works with immigration authorities, extending ICE's reach into routine policing.