The Impact of ICE on Our Local Communities

Whenever people say or use the word “ICE,” it sounds like they are referring to frozen substances made of water. Now, however, there is a new meaning attached to it–the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

ICE, or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is an organization, started in 2003 by former President George W. Bush, which initially focused on maintaining national security and preventing terrorism. Flash-forward to today, and they have fully expanded their potential due to Donald Trump’s “dedication” to it during his second term and have supported them with more reinforcement. Starting earlier this summer, ICE has been deporting, by excessive force, those who illegally immigrated to the United States or those who have overstayed their visa. Whether our current government recognizes it or not, ICE has severely affected local communities with their overpowering presence and threats. Undeniably, ICE causes people to lose their jobs, disrupt a person’s workforce/financial stability, and intimidates people from heading outdoors. 

To begin with, many undocumented people lost their jobs due to deportation. Many undocumented immigrants, legal or not, come to the United States to create a better life for them and their families and are mainly interested in going to work and earning money to survive on this land. Most undocumented immigrants work in industries vital to local and state economies like agriculture, construction, food service, and childcare. When an individual is removed from where they wished to be, it shatters their personal and financial dreams into pieces, and again, creates an unnecessary gap in our economy and the services it provides. It is also crucial to consider that most of these individuals want to, in some cases, work more than most U.S. citizens, especially males. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2024 that, “Foreign-born men continued to participate in the labor force at a considerably higher rate in 2024 (77.3 percent) than their native-born counterparts (65.9 percent).” These factors contribute to the idea that isolating and extracting a relatively small cross-section of individuals in our country can weaken local and state economies (and communities) as a whole.

Needless to say, our country’s economic power is decreasing as its workforce shrinks and experiences extreme loss of labor. In the article, “Potential Impacts of Mass Detention and Deportation Efforts on the Health and Well-Being of Immigrant Families,” under the “What are the potential impacts of enhanced enforcement activity on the nation’s economy and workforce” section, it clearly says that, “Mass deportations [...] negatively impact the U.S. workforce, given the role immigrants play” (Pillai et al. 2025). It is undeniable that kicking out immigrants can lead to a drop in employment, slowing down economic growth at a high rate. By removing this essential part of our country’s workforce, our current government is actively creating economic instability and slowing down growth in the key industries.

Furthermore, ICE has made it impossible for people to seek help and interact with the outside world. Many families, and individuals, often have essential needs as their conditions worsens. The simple act of going to a supermarket makes families afraid that they will get caught and will be unable to be free from arrests and deportation. In a recent survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, it showed that over 40 percent of immigrant families avoid undergoing public benefit programs and often skip doctors' visits. As a result, families are also avoiding hospitals and clinics, even for simple processes like vaccinations, terrified that a routine check-up could lead to a heartbreaking separation. Therefore, their health outcomes may worsen, possibly leading to critical illness and or unnecessary death. Not only that, families nowadays are terrified to even step outside and instead rely on staying in their house as a safe zone. Even so, ICE agents have attempted to illegally make their way onto private property even without a judicial warrant.

After examining the evidence provided, it is clear that the impact of ICE is too overpowering and unnecessary. The fears lingering inside local neighborhoods, empty seats at restaurants yearning for customers, employers losing their staff, all of these items contribute to an economy that is trending downward along with its workforce. 

The mission of ICE should not come at the expense of tearing communities apart, ruining our state and local economies, or preventing anyone, citizen or none, from getting or receiving urgent needs. 

In order to re-instill trust in our communities and the humanity of our country, a new direction regarding immigration needs to be addressed and reformed.