In the wake of the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent, the need to fundamentally rethink the role and tactics of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become increasingly clear. While calls to “abolish ICE” have gained momentum, experts argue that this does not go far enough – the issue lies in the very foundations of an agency predicated on violence and dehumanization.
Heba Gowayed, an associate professor of sociology, and Victor Ray, a professor of sociology, contend that the problem with ICE goes beyond the excesses of the Trump administration or a few “bad apples.” Rather, the agency’s categorical mission and lack of oversight are reminiscent of slave patrols, with armed operatives targeting Black and brown people.
The killing of Renee Good, a mother of three, captured on video, with the agent heard calling her a “fucking bitch” afterwards, is a sobering example of the impunity with which ICE operates. This is no isolated incident – a Wall Street Journal investigation revealed 13 instances of ICE firing into civilian vehicles since July 2025, with at least eight people shot and two killed.
Moreover, the conditions in ICE detention centres are notoriously inhumane, with 32 people dying in custody in 2025 alone, matching a record set two decades prior. Experts argue that the problem lies in the very “security logic” that underpins the agency’s existence, casting non-white immigrants as inherent threats to American safety.
Gowayed and Ray assert that truly addressing the damage caused by ICE requires going beyond simply abolishing the agency. It means eradicating the flawed premise that violence and a militarized approach to immigration can ever make people safer. They call for a fundamental shift towards a system that centers the humanity of all individuals facing legal processes, including deportation, by ensuring access to legal representation and expanding legal pathways rather than truncating them.
The authors emphasize that this is not a radical proposition, but rather a matter of basic human decency. As the nation grapples with the legacy of ICE and the broader immigration enforcement system, the path forward must be one that rejects the logic of violence in favor of an approach that truly values the dignity and rights of all people.