Extended Interview: Scrutiny Grows Over Use of Force in Federal Immigration Enforcement

As immigration enforcement operations expand nationwide, questions are mounting over how federal agents use force — and how those incidents are investigated afterward. Experts say recent cases point to a troubling pattern.

From border regions to major cities, immigration enforcement is increasingly playing out in public view. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data, more than 70,000 detentions have been carried out so far this year. At least six deaths have occurred under ICE custody during that same period.

Investigative journalist John Carlos Frey says the publicly released data often leaves out critical details — particularly when encounters turn violent.

"I've seen these kinds of incidents at the border for a long time. U.S Border Patrol would chase down migrants and ram them with their cars, they would beat them, and apprehend them. This was a lawless area of the United States. Now border patrol officers and ICE are the interior and we are seeing the same tactic," said John Carlos Frey.

Allegations of Excessive Force

Operations led by ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have come under increased scrutiny in recent months amid allegations of excessive force. Frey, who has reported extensively along the U.S.–Mexico border and nationwide, points to a series of recent incidents that he says reflect a recurring pattern.

Frey's research is featured in the HBO documentary Critical Incident: Death at the Border, which examines the 2010 death of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, a migrant who died after being repeatedly shocked and beaten by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Frey says similar cases continue today.

'The main focus of the documentary is the corruption within CBP and Ice. I see that still happening but I see that on steroids," Frey said.

One recent example is the fatal shooting of Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old American citizen, during a federal operation in Minneapolis earlier this month.

"Today if you have an administration shutting down the administration, and you have hundreds possibly thousands of people with their phones out, does that evidence matter if the administration is shutting down the investigation? I am not saying who is right or wrong, but there is no investigation," said Frey.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, U.S. immigration agents have been involved in at least 16 shooting incidents since the current federal enforcement expansion began.

Deaths in Custody Raise Concerns

Data also show more than 30 detainee deaths under ICE custody since last year. One of those deaths was Luis Beltran Yanez Cruz, a 68-year-old undocumented migrant from Honduras, who died at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio on January 6 while under ICE custody.

The Department of Homeland Security states that 70 percent of those arrested by ICE are convicted criminals or face criminal charges — a claim Frey disputes based on his research.

In his book Sand and Blood, Frey argues that federal data fails to capture the full reality of enforcement encounters, including the use of force and conditions in detention.

Oversight and Accountability

NBC Palm Springs reached out to ICE seeking clarification on its use-of-force policies and procedures for investigating critical incidents. The agency did not respond to requests for comment.

ICE policy published on its website states that officers are authorized to use force only when it is “objectively reasonable and necessary,” and that deadly force is permitted only to prevent imminent death or serious injury. Deaths in custody are subject to internal review.

Frey, however, says those internal processes often lead to impunity rather than accountability.

As immigration enforcement operations continue to expand nationwide, civil rights groups and advocates are calling for independent oversight and greater transparency.

Federal agencies maintain that use-of-force incidents are rare and properly reviewed, but questions persist for communities affected by enforcement activity.

To know more about John Carlos Frey's work, you can click here.