America’s Political Police: ICE and the Targeting of Activists

The U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has grown into a force that rivals past repressive secret police organizations. Historically, authoritarian regimes have relied on political police to suppress dissent and maintain power. Today, ICE appears to be engaging in similar tactics, targeting activists and international students based on their political views.

Surveillance and Retaliation: The Canary Mission Connection

Reports indicate that ICE may be using the controversial Canary Mission to compile lists of individuals for potential deportation or visa revocation. Established in 2014, Canary Mission was designed to combat the growing Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which pressures Israel to comply with international law. While Canary Mission claims to fight antisemitism, critics argue it functions as a blacklist, silencing pro-Palestine activists by labeling them as extremists.

State Department’s Mass Visa Revocations

The Times of India reported that hundreds of international students across the U.S. have received emails from the State Department notifying them of abrupt visa revocations. The affected students hold F (academic study), M (vocational study), and J (scholar/professor) visas.

One such email sent to a student by the US DOS reads:

“On behalf of the United States Department of State, the Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Office hereby informs you that additional information became available after your visa was issued. As a result, your F-1 visa with expiration date XXXXX was revoked in accordance with Section 221(i) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended.”

“Please note that deportation can take place at a time that does not allow the person being deported to secure possessions or conclude affairs in the United States. Persons being deported may be sent to countries other than their countries of origin.”

These students are being stripped of their legal status and threatened with deportation. Reports suggest that AI-powered monitoring tools are flagging individuals based on their social media activity, including sharing or liking posts deemed “anti-national” although no definition was provided for what that means. Others are being targeted for participating in campus activism, such as writing op-eds or protesting against Israel’s policies.

The encampments, op-eds and social media posts being anti-Israel, anti-apartheid, anti-genocide, anti-colonialism have made these activists clear targets for standing on the right side of history. Israel is not part of America; It is a foreign country. One may wonder, why are people not allowed to question or criticize it without fear of reprisal?

Marco Rubio’s Crackdown on Student Visas

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken a hardline stance, boasting about the mass revocation of visas. During a press conference in Guyana, he stated: “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas… A visa is not a birthright and people who were found violating the terms of visitation would have to leave.”

Rubio’s office recently launched an AI-driven program called “Catch and Revoke”, designed to detect and cancel the visas of students allegedly supporting designated terrorist organizations. Axios reports that in just three weeks, over 300 students have had their visas revoked, with many more at risk.

A March 25 internal directive from the State Department has reportedly made social media monitoring mandatory for visa holders. Immigration attorneys warn that this level of surveillance marks a dangerous shift in how the U.S. polices free speech, punishing individuals based on their digital footprint.

Where Is Congress?

Despite the scale of these actions, many progressive leaders have remained silent. Senator Bernie Sanders, when confronted by a constituent about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, brushed off concerns, saying:

Sanders responded, “Excuse me, excuse me. . I gotta go attend a rally now.”

With lawmakers distracted, unchecked power is being handed to ICE and the State Department, leaving international students and activists vulnerable.

Erosion of Constitutional Rights

The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, yet the U.S. government appears to be punishing lawful dissent. Protesting is a fundamental democratic right, not a crime. However, the recent visa revocations and detentions suggest that standing against U.S. foreign policy—especially regarding Israel—now carries severe consequences.

Resistance such as protesting and utilizing freedom of speech is not terrorism. To suggest otherwise is un-American.

Concerns Over ICE’s Tactics

There are alarming reports of plainclothes, masked officers conducting arrests without proper identification. Unlike traditional law enforcement, these agents appear to lack accountability. Questions remain:

• Are these officers even ICE agents, or are they private contractors and bounty hunters hired by the government?
• Are they bound by the same legal standards as other law enforcement?
• Why aren’t body cameras being used, as previously mandated?

These ambush-style arrests are creating dangerous situations. Victims of these tactics may experience severe PTSD, and the aggressive nature of these encounters increases the likelihood of violent confrontations.

The Dangers of Masked Raids

America has Stand Your Ground laws in 29 states, allowing individuals to use force if they feel threatened. Additionally, 29 states issue concealed carry permits, meaning many Americans legally carry firearms. What happens when someone is ambushed by masked, unidentified men claiming to be law enforcement?

These tactics also open the door for impersonation by kidnappers and traffickers. Fake badges are easily available online, making it difficult for civilians to distinguish legitimate officers from criminals. If ICE is intentionally avoiding identification, it raises serious legal and ethical concerns.

State-Sanctioned Intimidation

The definition of terrorism is “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in pursuit of political aims.” By this definition, the actions of ICE and the Trump administration resemble state-sponsored intimidation rather than lawful immigration enforcement.

The U.S. government is setting a precedent: political dissent is punishable by deportation. The right to protest and criticize government policies—especially those concerning foreign nations—should never be criminalized. Yet, that is exactly what is happening.

Where Do We Draw the Line?

As masked officers conduct raids, as students are exiled for their political views, and as AI-driven surveillance dictates who can remain in the U.S., Americans must ask: How much more will we tolerate?

The erosion of civil liberties does not happen overnight—it happens incrementally, under the guise of security. History warns us where this road leads. The question is: Will we stop it before it’s too late?