Nov 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.11

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESKICE AGENTSUnder Attack — For Doing Their JobsIn every corner of America,from small-town departmentsto big-city agencies, men andwomen in uniform wake up eachday with one mission: protectand serve. Whether that uniformsays Police, Sheriff, Trooper, orICE, the oath is the same—touphold the law of the UnitedStates and safeguard the peoplewho depend on us. Yet in today’spolitical climate, few federalofficers have faced more undeservedhostility than the men andwomen of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement. They’re beingdemonized not for misconduct,not for corruption, but simply fordoing their jobs.Over the past several years,ICE agents have become theconvenient political punchingbag for activists, pundits, andDemocrats who should knowbetter. Their duties—identifying,detaining, and removing individualswho violate U.S. immigrationlaws—have been distortedinto something sinister. Protestsoutside ICE offices, harassmentof agents’ families, “AbolishICE” chants on the streets and inCongress—this is what law enforcementofficers are enduringfor enforcing the laws our owngovernment enacted.Let’s be clear: ICE agents arenot the problem. They’re the onesstanding between order andchaos. They are the ones trackinghuman traffickers, interceptingfentanyl shipments, stoppinggang members who cross theborder to prey on Americancommunities. They rescue childrenfrom exploitation, dismantlesmuggling networks, andenforce the very immigrationlaws that Congress itself wrote.Every arrest they make, everyraid they conduct, is backed bythe authority of the United Statesgovernment. And yet, when theydo their duty, they’re vilified as ifthey were the criminals.For those of us in law enforcement,that double standard cutsdeep. We’ve all seen what happenswhen politics overridespublic safety. Officers becomescapegoats. The rule of law becomesoptional. And the communitieswe swore to protect areleft more vulnerable. ICE agentsare living that reality every day—accused of cruelty for upholdinglaws that others don’t have thecourage to change or enforce.The truth is that ICE’s missionis far bigger than immigrationenforcement. It’s about nationalsecurity. ICE’s Homeland SecurityInvestigations division (HSI) isone of the most effective federalforces against drug cartels,cybercriminals, and internationalmoney launderers. When amajor fentanyl pipeline is shutdown, odds are ICE agents werethere. When a child exploitationring is broken, ICE investigatorsare often leading the charge. Butthose stories rarely make headlines.The media prefers outrageto reality.Meanwhile, agents are workingin increasingly hostile environments.Many can’t wear identifyinggear in public without fearof being targeted. Some havehad their personal informationleaked online. Families arethreatened. Children bullied inschools because a parent enforcesimmigration law. That’snot activism—that’s harassment.And it’s an outrage that suchbehavior is tolerated, much lessencouraged, in a nation built onrespect for the rule of law.We’ve all been there doing a6 The BLUES NOVEMBER ‘25

hard job under public scrutiny.Every cop knows the feeling ofbeing judged by people whohave never walked a beat, nevermade a split-second decisionthat could save or end a life. ICEagents feel that same pressuredaily, only amplified on a nationalscale. They’re caught betweenpolitics and principle, yet theycontinue to show up, enforce thelaw, and protect this country.The men and women of ICEdeserve the same respect andsupport we give any officerwho risks their life in service toothers. When they put on thatbadge, they’re not thinking aboutpolitics—they’re thinking aboutkeeping Americans safe. They’rethinking about stopping the nexthuman trafficking operation,preventing another overdose, andmaking sure violent offendersdon’t walk free simply becausesomeone decided immigrationlaws no longer matter.The law enforcement communityunderstands what’s at stake.When you strip legitimacy fromone branch of enforcement, youweaken them all. If ICE can betargeted and undermined fordoing its job, what’s to stop thesame from happening to localpolice, sheriffs, or federal marshals?The foundation of Americanjustice depends on unityamong those who uphold it—andon public trust that our officersare enforcing laws fairly andfaithfully.As a nation, we should bethanking ICE agents, not threateningthem. We should be demandingbetter border policyfrom lawmakers, not punishingthe officers tasked with enforcingit. Accountability belongsat the top—with the politicianswho write the laws and refuseto fix what’s broken—not withthe agents who keep the systemfunctioning despite the politics.The badge means duty, courage,and service. ICE agentswear that badge with the samepride every law enforcementofficer feels. They deserve ourrespect, our backing, and ourprotection. Because when they’reunder attack, so is every officerwho believes in the simpleprinciple that laws mean something—andthat enforcing themis not a crime, but a calling.And for those calling for ICEto stand down and go away?I say take the bad guys off thestreet and deliver them to thehomes of the protesters. Handcuffthem to their front door orbetter yet to their refrigerator.Let them see first hand how evilthese monsters are and then,just maybe, they’ll appreciate thejob the ICE Agents do every singleday.The BLUES - NOVEMBER ‘25 7