ICE is a huge issue in the picture. They have no culpability. They don't need ID or warrants. They can, and do, profile people who are citizens. They treat prisoners terribly in many ways I won't describe here. Thus far

Deportations happened during those administrations but without bravado or bounties. No masks or stun gloves.

Obama had over 400000 formal removals. The administration moved away from large-scale worksite immigration raids, choosing instead to focus on auditing and penalizing employers (now there's an idea).

Some numbers. Thus far under Trump, 52 people died in detention. 200+ cases where deportees faced targeted violence, abuse, or death following return. Thousands of rulilngs against ice for detaining immigrants unlawfully, violating due process, and holding people for unconstitutionally prolonged periods (1,200 specific incidents of aggressive enforcement tactics and potential civil rights violations)

Then there is the problem that immigration systems are wholly broken. As of August 2026, the active pending backlog for U.S. Immigration Courts stands at 3,092,988 cases, while the broader U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application and petition backlog totals roughly 11.3 million pending cases.

I want to see these issues addressed. That doesn't mean that I approve of illegal crossings. Two very different matters.