When U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in 2003, it was born from the ashes of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks with a singular purpose: to protect national security. By merging the power of the U.S. Customs Service with the enforcement of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the original intent was clear: to target high-level threats, human traffickers, and those who sought to exploit and infiltrate our borders to cause Americans harm.
However, in 2026, the agency has drifted dangerously far from that foundational purpose. What was once designed for national security has been turned into a weapon used for discriminatory enforcement. To help the agency and maintain its necessity as a federal tool, reform must be made to the agency, starting with a change in current leadership.
The primary obstacle to reform is the current direction under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Under her term, the agency has prioritized high-profile raids in sensitive locations like schools, hospitals and places of employment, which does little for actual public safety but more so ruins community and national trust in not just law enforcement but our government as a whole. For ICE to function effectively and properly, Noem should be replaced by a law enforcement professional who understands the laws of our country and the nuances of the original 2003 mission. New leadership must shift the focus back to effective enforcement, which would be to prioritize the removal of violent criminals and dismantle cartels rather than terrorizing workers, children and families without criminal records.
True reform means we need a shift from the culture of anonymity to one of absolute truth and accountability. For too long, the lack of oversight on ICE has allowed for a very eerie enforcement style that erodes public trust. To remedy this, the agency must mandate the use of body cameras and prohibit agents from wearing masks and tactical gear during operations that involve citizens. Stripping away these layers of anonymity ensures that agents cannot hide behind equipment and do whatever they want to, and it forces a standard of professional conduct.
Beyond physical transparency, the agency must be reintroduced to the American legal tradition and expectation of due process. We need to end the use of expedited removals that bypass due process and allow ICE agents to act above the law. To restore the integrity of the agency, they must return to the framework of judicial oversight, ensuring that no individual is removed from the country without a chance to present their case to a judge.
ICE is a necessary pillar of our national security infrastructure, but it is currently being steered in the wrong direction. By replacing leadership that favors political performance over public safety, we can return to the agency that was a protective shield for our country.
