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Who are ICE agents, Trump's "Praetorian army": Aggressive, masked and armed to the teeth

2026-01-10 23:01:55Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
ICE agents during an operation

ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was created in response to terrorism after the September 11, 2001 attacks, but with Donald Trump's return to the White House, federal immigration agents have become his personal bodyguards, armed to the teeth and well-paid, ready to do anything to track him down.

ICE is now considered a "Trumpian militia," also composed of individuals with questionable pasts, often with insufficient education and accelerated training, but with salaries higher than those of teachers, and with full powers.

Even as video footage of the killing of a woman in Minneapolis showed a different reality, Trump defended the officer, saying the victim had been “attacked with violence and brutality” and that the officer had been forced to defend himself. “It seems like a miracle that he is still alive, but he is recovering in the hospital,” the president added.

Indeed, a video shot shortly after the incident shows the agent crossing the street and instructing colleagues to remove people from the area. According to critics, hospitalization is often used by law enforcement to alleviate the responsibility of those involved in abuses. Trump’s defense of the agent appears to have a political motive: to show publicly that ICE agents will always be protected for any action taken on his behalf.

Due to the high level of impunity guaranteed by the government, ICE has in recent months transformed into an "army" without borders: the staff has exceeded 22 thousand people and is no longer engaged in criminal investigations, but in the arrest and deportation of people considered illegal immigrants.

Protesters, including American citizens, are also being violently attacked, and no one faces any consequences. This has led to ICE agents often being compared on social media to “Nazi blue shirts.”

Meanwhile, the agency has become the most highly funded federal agency: its annual budget has tripled, reaching $30 billion. A few months ago, the government employment website, USA Jobs, offered well-paying positions for agents in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Starting salaries range from $50,000 to $89,000 per year (€42,000–€76,000), plus service allowances and overtime.

Agents will also receive an annual bonus of $10,000 for the next four years, as well as health insurance, retirement plans and 26 days of paid vacation. In 2025, federal spending on arming agents increased by 600%, to more than $70 million.

However, it is not clear how much these conditions are attracting candidates to join a structure that is increasingly dissatisfied with the public. The identities and histories of the agents remain secret: they move with their faces covered and do not give their names, for security reasons, according to the department. Critics say that some of them may have criminal pasts or be participants in the January 6 rebellion, pardoned by Donald Trump./ La Repubblica


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