ICE Emails Show Increased Use of Force on US Citizens and Migrants

Internal emails obtained by a nonprofit reveal a spike in reported use-of-force incidents by immigration agents in early 2025.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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According to internal emails obtained by the nonprofit American Oversight, senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials were aware of a dramatic increase in reported use-of-force incidents by agents in the early months of 2025, with incidents quadrupling year-over-year. The emails indicate ICE leadership was informed of the rise in use of force well before enforcement actions in Minneapolis became highly scrutinized.

Why it matters

These records raise concerns about the aggressive and potentially unconstitutional tactics used by ICE agents, with incidents involving the use of force against both undocumented immigrants and US citizens. The revelations come amid ongoing debates over immigration enforcement and the balance between public safety and civil liberties.

The details

The emails show that in the first two months of 2025, ICE agents reported 67 use-of-force incidents, nearly four times the 17 incidents reported during the same period in 2024. In one incident on March 10, 2025, Border Patrol and ICE officers broke the windows of a woman's car while attempting to detain two undocumented individuals in Washington, with one individual being tased and requiring medical attention. The emails indicate ICE leadership, including former acting Director Caleb Vitello, were aware of the increase in use of force and sought to shift the narrative to focus on alleged assaults on officers.

  • In the first two months of 2025, ICE agents reported 67 use-of-force incidents, nearly four times the 17 incidents reported during the same period in 2024.
  • On March 10, 2025, Border Patrol and ICE officers broke the windows of a woman's car while attempting to detain two undocumented individuals in Washington.

The players

Caleb Vitello

The former acting ICE Director who received briefings on the increase in use-of-force incidents.

Chioma Chukwu

The Executive Director of American Oversight, the nonprofit organization that obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Kristi Noem

The Secretary of Homeland Security under the Trump administration.

Todd Lyons

The current acting ICE Director who defended the agency's use-of-force practices during a Senate hearing.

Richard Blumenthal

The Democratic Senator from Connecticut who questioned Lyons about ICE agents' use of force without judicial warrants.

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What they’re saying

“These records paint a deeply troubling picture of the violent methods used by ICE. In just the first months of this administration, ICE's own data shows a dramatic spike of nearly 400 percent in use-of-force incidents—with people hospitalized, bystanders swept up in operations, and even the death of a U.S. citizen.”

— Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director, American Oversight (Newsweek)

“It does not abrogate the Fourth Amendment. It does not say that ICE agents or CBP agents can simply bash down doors and barge into people's homes, terrorize their children, detain and arrest people without a judicial warrant and there is nothing different about what ICE does as to compared to the FBI or the local police that would justify.”

— Richard Blumenthal, Senator, Connecticut (Newsweek)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

These revelations about ICE's use of force raise serious concerns about the agency's tactics and their impact on both undocumented immigrants and US citizens. The disconnect between ICE's claims of professionalism and the reality on the ground underscores the need for greater oversight and accountability within the agency.