Protests and Court Battles: One Year of Immigration Under the Second Trump Administration 

“It has been a little over a year since President Trump took office and began his focus on immigration policies. With this focus, there have been many proposed policy changes that provided unspecific and vague rules, making the exact state of immigration law unclear. On January 20, 2025, President Trump enforced border restrictions at the Mexican border.

 

In the last year, immigration attorneys have been targeted with a “watch list” posted on the ICE website. A memo was sent out to immigration attorneys in order to “prevent abuses of the legal system and federal court.” The memo also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to issue fines to immigration attorneys with no clear evidence or reason. There were also unwarranted investigations and penalties against immigration nonprofits.  

 

Also, within the first few days of his presidency, Trump suspended refugee entry into the United States under the USRAP. He claimed that the entry of refugees would be “detrimental.” This also required the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend decisions on applications for refugee status. This affects refugees who need to escape dangerous places and takes away their ability to safely arrive in the United States. 

 

March 15, 2025, Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1789, which denies due process to immigrants who are intended to be deported. The Trump administration has also been deporting immigrants to countries they are not from. Bringing back this outdated policy raised national concern about the administration’s abuse of power. 

 

The policy was a response to the alleged “war” the United States was in with gang members of the Venezuelan transitional organization Tren de Aragua (TDA). It stated that “all Venezuelan citizens aged 14 or older who are members of the TDA” illegally living in the United States are considered “alien enemies” and are subject to deportation. 

 

On the same day, the ACLU filed a lawsuit, J.G.G v. Trump, where five plaintiffs sued the Trump Administration in a federal court case, and two days later on March 17, 2025, Judge Boasberg granted a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from further deportations. In April of 2025, the administration appealed the initial filing. While legal battles still continue, in May of 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the prior decision to keep the restraining order.

 

There have also been changes made that created issues for asylum seekers. The different policies include border restrictions, pauses on asylum cases, a $100 asylum fee, asylum agreements, and work permits. The asylum agreements mean that Trump can send asylum seekers to other countries where these agreements have been signed. 

 

These countries include El Salvador, Honduras, Uganda, Rwanda, Eswatini, and Belize.  In at least one case, the Department of State gave the El Salvador government a 4.7 million dollar grant after sending hundreds of Venezuelan men to be imprisoned there. 

 

While these policy changes have greatly impacted the immigrant community, there have also been physical retributions. ICE agents have been prominent across the country, specifically in big cities like New York,  Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have been given permission to use physical force against protesters and bystanders. Many have been badly hurt, and some injuries have been fatal. This, of course, was the case with Renee Good, a prize-winning poet who had just moved to Minnesota. On January 7, 2026, Good was brutally shot by immigration enforcement. Video shows that Good was in her car, legally observing the proceedings of the agents, when she was instructed to get out of her car. She didn’t obey their orders, and instead, she went to drive away. The videos show an agent standing in front of her car when she started driving. It shows him stepping out of the way of the car while Good turns the wheel away from them with the intention to drive away. The agent who stepped out from in front of her car then opened fire, shooting her three times, once in the head, before her car ran into a nearby parked car. Immediately after, Good’s partner ran to the vehicle. After a few minutes, Good is still in her car while bystanders beg ICE agents to let a physician treat her. ICE refused because their own medics and emergency personnel were already on their way. 

 

The Department of Homeland Security claimed the gunshots were in self-defense, but the footage of the incident works to contradict this statement. In the video of this incident, it is unclear to rule the agent’s claim of self-defense as false. 

 

The video surfaced all over the internet, with people outraged at the actions of immigration enforcement. There have been tributes and protests all over the country.

Another instance where the physical violence of Immigration Enforcement caused outrage throughout the country was the case of Alex Pretti. 

 

Pretti was a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident who was shot multiple times on January 24, 2026. He was trying to insert himself between ICE agents and targeted civilians. In videos, Pretti is seen recording with a cell phone, which the DHS later claimed he was holding a weapon. He did, however, have a firearm in his waistband, which he had the proper permits for.  It took less than a minute for Immigration Enforcement to tackle Pretti, take his gun out of his waistband, and shoot him 10 times. 

 

Later, ICE agents claimed he was holding a weapon, but videos show he was only holding a cell phone. He was holding a cell phone, which was claimed to be a weapon. 

 

According to a New York Times article published on February 1st of 2026, Trump called Pretti’s death “very unfortunate,” just to later backtrack and claim he was an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist…”

 

These two instances that took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, added fuel to the fire and created more protests around the area and nationally.

 

While many have died on the streets, there have also been immigrants dying in detention centers after being detained by ICE officials. 

 

Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old father of four, died at the ICE facility Camp Easy Montana in El Paso, Texas. ICE officials claimed he became disruptive while in line for medication and refused to return to his dorm. He was placed in “segregation,” and medical personnel were called when he appeared to be in distress. Immigration enforcement claimed that the staff was trying to save him from a suicide attempt. 

 

A witness later told the Associated Press that Lunas Campos was handcuffed and placed in a choke hold until he inevitably fell unconscious. The El Paso County medical examiner’s office autopsy report showed signs of injuries on his neck as well as on his knees and chest.

 

Another instance that has caused national outrage was Liam Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who was detained on January 21, 2026, by ICE agents upon arriving home from school. According to an article by The Guardian on January 21, 2026, Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of the school Liam attends, drove to their house upon hearing what was happening. When she arrived, the car was still running in the driveway, and the father and son had already been detained. One of the ICE agents led Liam to the front door and instructed him to knock to see if anyone else was home, according to Stenvick. She stated they were using a five-year-old as “bait.”

 

Another adult who lived in the house asked if they could take care of Liam so he would not be detained, but was denied. Liam’s older brother then returned home 20 minutes later to discover his brother and father missing.

 

The family’s attorney, Marc Prokosch, said the family had an “active asylum case” and shared paperwork showing that they had both entered legally at a port of entry. 

 

Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, claims ICE officials were conducting a “targeted operation” only to arrest Liam’s father. She also claimed that his father tried to run away, and the ICE agents stayed with the child for safety reasons. 

 

While in detention, Liam, like many kids in detention centers,  had a difficult time adjusting. He had trouble sleeping and eating the prison food. He was worried about what happened to his winter hat and Spider-Man backpack. He missed his friends and family and wished he were home attending school. At his school, his teachers refused to clean out his classroom cubby with the hope that he would return. Liam and his father have since been released under the orders of a Judge. 

 

Over the past year, more than 2.5 million people have left the United States. The Trump Administration claims that 1.9 million left on their own, and 622,000 were deported. 

 

A year into new policy changes and increased danger involving ICE officials has caused many in the U.S. to be on high alert. It is very clear that U.S citizens will not stand idly by as people of their community are taken. 

 

For Hope Pod LIVE! I’m Addison Mason”