The documented history of ICE abuses.

Whether I am being interviewed by a national mainstream media outlet, speaking with political leaders, a fellow substacker or just meeting people in everyday scenarios, the comment most often made to me is: “ICE was honorable before Trump got ahold of them.” 

This always gets a smile if not a hearty chuckle from me. 

The data and reports have been clear for over a decade - ICE has never been honorable. None of this is new. I have attached just a smidgeon of that proof below. It is not an exhaustive list, and it is important to note that I can see that many older reports I have in my personal database have been removed from the internet. This is not an accident as the administration is currently “whitewashing” the web.

Today, ICE is prepping to unleash extreme violence and human rights violations under new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. United States citizens and documented immigrants will be victims as well. When this happens, the media and many in Congress will claim this is Trump’s doing. While that is true, it is also true that these same entities have been ignoring the blatant abuse and violence that has long existed within this agency. Don’t buy their excuses. They knew the truth and still voted for more money, more power and less oversight for this agency. 

Whether I am being interviewed by a national mainstream media outlet, speaking with political leaders, a fellow substacker or just meeting people in everyday scenarios, the comment most often made to me is: “ICE was honorable before Trump got ahold of them.” 

This always gets a smile if not a hearty chuckle from me. 

The data and reports have been clear for over a decade - ICE has never been honorable. None of this is new. I have attached just a smidgeon of that proof below. It is not an exhaustive list, and it is important to note that I can see that many older reports I have in my personal database have been removed from the internet. This is not an accident as the administration is currently “whitewashing” the web.

Today, ICE is prepping to unleash extreme violence and human rights violations under new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. United States citizens and documented immigrants will be victims as well. When this happens, the media and many in Congress will claim this is Trump’s doing. While that is true, it is also true that these same entities have been ignoring the blatant abuse and violence that has long existed within this agency. Don’t buy their excuses. They knew the truth and still voted for more money, more power and less oversight for this agency. 

ICE must be abolished for intentionally violating the U.S. Constitution and human rights. There must be accountability. 

As you can see, ICE abuses are well documented. 

Government Reports

• 2026 - “OVER 1,000 CREDIBLE REPORTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN U.S. IMMIGRATION DETENTION.” Senator Jon Ossoff. 
• 2023 - “The Trump Administration's Mistreatment of Detained Immigrants: Deaths and Deficient Medical Care by For-Profit Detention Contractors.” Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Reform.
• 2020 - “Immigration Detention: Care of Pregnant Women in DHS.” Government Accountability Office.
• 2013 - “Immigration detention.” Government Accountability Office.
• 2017 - “Concerns about ICE Detainee Treatment and Care at Detention Facilities.” Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General. 

Nongovernmental Organization Reports

• 2025 - “ICE Contractual Capacity and Number Detained: Overcapacity vs. Overcrowding.” TRAC Immigration.
• 2025 - “Too Swift for Human Rights: The Catastrophic Cost of Eliminating Government Oversight over Immigration Enforcement.” Women’s Refugee Commission.
• 2025 - “Detained Immigrants Detail Physical Abuse and Inhumane Conditions at Largest Immigration Detention Center in the U.S.” ACLU.
• 2025 - “Inside an ICE Detention Center: Detained People Describe Severe Medical Neglect, Harrowing Conditions.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Deadly Failures: Preventable Deaths in U.S. Immigrant Detention.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Cold Reality: Uncovering the Cruelty and Chaos of ICE Operations in Pennsylvania.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Policy Brief | Snapshot of ICE Detention: Inhumane Conditions and Alarming Expansion.” National Immigrant Justice Center. 
• 2024 - “‘Endless Nightmare’: Torture and Inhuman Treatment in Solitary Confinement in U.S. Immigration Detention.” Physicians for Human Rights.
• 2024 -“No Human Being Should Be Held There: The Mistreatment of LGBTQ and HIV-Positive People in U.S. Federal Immigration Jails.” Immigration Equality.
• 2023 - “DHS’s Secret Reports on ICE Detention.” Project on Government Oversight.
• 2021 - “COMPLAINTS IGNORED, ABUSES EXCUSED: Why the Department of Homeland Security’s Internal Accountability Mechanisms Must Be Reformed.” National Immigration Project.
• 2020 - “ICE: Federally Funded Abuse and Neglect.” Children’s Defense Fund. 
• 2018 - “ACLU Obtains Documents Showing Widespread Abuse of Child Immigrants in U.S. Custody.” ACLU.
• 2017 - “The Detention of Women Seeking Asylum in the United States.” Women’s Refugee Commission.

Academic Reports

• 2024 - “ICE used solitary confinement more than 14,000 times in the past five years, report reveals.” Harvard Law Today. 
• 2023 - “Trends in Sexual Assault Against Detainees in US Immigration Detention Centers, 2018-2022.” JAMA.

Reports by Media Outlets

• 2026 - “Why a private company is investigating rapes at an ICE detention center instead of the sheriff. Cal Matters.
• 2025 - “The Human Cost Of ICE: Stories Of Abuse And Neglect.” Journalists for Human Rights.
• 2025 - “US Said to Drop Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Migrant Child Shelter.” Bloomberg Law. 
• 2023 - “‘Immensely Invisible:’ Women Fighting ICE’s Inaction on Sexual Abuses.” Futuro.
• 2023 - “Government’s own experts found ‘barbaric’ and ‘negligent’ conditions in ICE detention.” NPR. 
• 2020 - “Whistleblower Nurse in ICE Jail Alleges Forced Sterilization & Neglect Amid 8th COVID Death.” Democracy Now.
• 2019 - “Thousands of immigrant children said they were sexually abused in U.S. detention centers, report says.” The New York Times. 
• 2018 - “DETAINED, THEN VIOLATED.” The Intercept.

Government Reports

• 2026 - “OVER 1,000 CREDIBLE REPORTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN U.S. IMMIGRATION DETENTION.” Senator Jon Ossoff. 
• 2023 - “The Trump Administration's Mistreatment of Detained Immigrants: Deaths and Deficient Medical Care by For-Profit Detention Contractors.” Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Reform.
• 2020 - “Immigration Detention: Care of Pregnant Women in DHS.” Government Accountability Office.
• 2013 - “Immigration detention.” Government Accountability Office.
• 2017 - “Concerns about ICE Detainee Treatment and Care at Detention Facilities.” Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General. 

Nongovernmental Organization Reports

• 2025 - “ICE Contractual Capacity and Number Detained: Overcapacity vs. Overcrowding.” TRAC Immigration.
• 2025 - “Too Swift for Human Rights: The Catastrophic Cost of Eliminating Government Oversight over Immigration Enforcement.” Women’s Refugee Commission.
• 2025 - “Detained Immigrants Detail Physical Abuse and Inhumane Conditions at Largest Immigration Detention Center in the U.S.” ACLU.
• 2025 - “Inside an ICE Detention Center: Detained People Describe Severe Medical Neglect, Harrowing Conditions.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Deadly Failures: Preventable Deaths in U.S. Immigrant Detention.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Sexual Abuse in Immigration Detention.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Cold Reality: Uncovering the Cruelty and Chaos of ICE Operations in Pennsylvania.” ACLU.
• 2024 - “Policy Brief | Snapshot of ICE Detention: Inhumane Conditions and Alarming Expansion.” National Immigrant Justice Center. 
• 2024 - “‘Endless Nightmare’: Torture and Inhuman Treatment in Solitary Confinement in U.S. Immigration Detention.” Physicians for Human Rights.
• 2024 -“No Human Being Should Be Held There: The Mistreatment of LGBTQ and HIV-Positive People in U.S. Federal Immigration Jails.” Immigration Equality.
• 2023 - “DHS’s Secret Reports on ICE Detention.” Project on Government Oversight.
• 2021 - “COMPLAINTS IGNORED, ABUSES EXCUSED: Why the Department of Homeland Security’s Internal Accountability Mechanisms Must Be Reformed.” National Immigration Project.
• 2020 - “ICE: Federally Funded Abuse and Neglect.” Children’s Defense Fund. 
• 2018 - “ACLU Obtains Documents Showing Widespread Abuse of Child Immigrants in U.S. Custody.” ACLU.
• 2017 - “The Detention of Women Seeking Asylum in the United States.” Women’s Refugee Commission.

Academic Reports

• 2024 - “ICE used solitary confinement more than 14,000 times in the past five years, report reveals.” Harvard Law Today. 
• 2023 - “Trends in Sexual Assault Against Detainees in US Immigration Detention Centers, 2018-2022.” JAMA.

Reports by Media Outlets

• 2026 - “Why a private company is investigating rapes at an ICE detention center instead of the sheriff. Cal Matters.
• 2025 - “The Human Cost Of ICE: Stories Of Abuse And Neglect.” Journalists for Human Rights.
• 2025 - “US Said to Drop Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Migrant Child Shelter.” Bloomberg Law. 
• 2023 - “‘Immensely Invisible:’ Women Fighting ICE’s Inaction on Sexual Abuses.” Futuro.
• 2023 - “Government’s own experts found ‘barbaric’ and ‘negligent’ conditions in ICE detention.” NPR. 
• 2020 - “Whistleblower Nurse in ICE Jail Alleges Forced Sterilization & Neglect Amid 8th COVID Death.” Democracy Now.
• 2019 - “Thousands of immigrant children said they were sexually abused in U.S. detention centers, report says.” The New York Times. 
• 2018 - “DETAINED, THEN VIOLATED.” The Intercept.