My name is Isabelle Rivera. I come from a hispanic household and I have an immigrant father. I have 6 siblings, being Mexican is in our blood. My blood, and the blood I will pass down to my children. Everyday there’s something new. Something on the news that speaks on how cruel these agents are to my community. They’ve harmed dozens of people in just these past 2 years alone. ICE has ripped families apart with no way to contact them and no access to the outside. Nor any way to contact a lawyer. Not only that but the detention centers they’ve put them in, are in such harsh conditions.
There have been 30 incidents that include rough ICE agents, holding a weapon at an immigrant. 14 injuries caused by immigration. Want to know how many deaths? Ten. 10 people have lost their lives to the cruelty and how much power these agents have been given. ICE is supposed to keep the criminals, the ones that have caused our world harm. Not people who don’t have records. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Renee Good and so many others should get the justice they deserve. They shouldn’t have to lose their life over not being a citizen.
Approximately 65,765 people have been detained by ICE since July 11, 2026. Research states that 70.6 percent of immigrants have no criminal record. That means 29.4 percent of people have records. Which is what ICE is intended for! Their not supposed ripe families apart. They are supposed to keep the country safe. They shouldn’t have people fearing for their life in their own homes. The homes they pay for! This reveals how much power they’ve been given without consequence.
Many articles have stated that hunger and labor strikes have gone up in detention centers where immigrants are held. As well as abuse and mistreatment. It’s been said that they’ve been given spoiled food and medical neglect. Though none of this is new. From 2024-2026, fifty six people have passed while being held in these centers. They aren’t treating immigrants with care, just because they’re not “American” enough. It is said that 2026 is on track to be on one of the deadliest years in ICE’s history.
What can we do about it? As a whole, everyone can protest. Protests are one of the most commonly used forms of retaliation.Politics care about the public view. (Research from “Science Change Lab”.) There have been over 170 protests in just the year of 2026. If we all go for what we believe in, the Trump administration will take our opinions into consideration.
As a hispanic girl, the way our government is treating the hispanic community is so disappointing due to everything we’ve fought for. Overall, ICE is cruel, sick, and absolutely unfair. They’ve stripped people from their homes without reason to. They’re quite literally harming MY people. Not only that but they put them into the worst conditions one could imagine. That’s why I’m so upset.
Isabelle Rivera – Cristo Rey Jesuit High School – DMSF Class of 2030
Photo Credit: Sandra-Gabriel – Pixabay