With the recent shootings and fatalities of US citizens by ICE agents, KU students have been quick to voice their outrage.
ICE agents shot Alex Piretti, an intensive care nurse, in Minneapolis last month after tackling him to the ground.
It was confirmed by the authorities that he had no criminal record and was a licensed gun owner, despite the Trump administration saying it was a case of an armed man provoking violence.
Further contentious cases will continue to create unrest among Americans still living in the States and those who live abroad. Zac Young, a Kingston University media student who hails from America, said, “I think the most alarming thing has just been the outright ignorance at the Federal level.”
“The federal level has been encouraging the most extreme double standard I’ve ever seen when it comes to condemning violence that ICE is currently engaging in. “This doesn’t give me or many others much hope in this behaviour ending.”
“They aren’t treating anyone like American citizens at the moment.”
Zac Young
This expansion in their role has led to many concerns over the true intentions of ICE. The recent escalation of incidents, notably the shooting of Renee Good, has resulted in widespread disdain and cautiousness towards Trump’s deployed ICE agents and travelling to America altogether.
Since the shooting of Good, approximately 17,000 flight tickets have been cancelled due to safety concerns and a climate of fear among the residents of the United States.
Madison Aivaliotis, an American nursing student at Kingston University, said: “[I have] concern about civil liberties and frustration over reports of wrongful detention and empathy for affected communities, particularly if enforcement actions appear to impact minorities or mixed-status families disproportionately.”
Aivaliotis added, “They didn’t even allow medical attention when it could have been life-saving [to Renee Good].”
The sentiment was shared by England’s official LGBT supporters’ group, Three Lions Pride, who announced that they will not have a visible presence at the World Cup, with serious concerns raised over fan safety, human rights, and FIFA’s handling of ticketing and accessibility.
These global concerns over the safety of American citizens are evident in Fiscal 2024; ICE recorded around 150,000 arrests, which is 57,000 more than the previous year, and it’s only growing every day.
In January 2025, the president of the United States expanded the role of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was established in 2003 after 9/11.