Has ICE Been ICEed Out? The State of Trump’s Praetorian Guard

It has only been two and a half months since Renee Good and Alex Pretti were murdered, but it feels as if it has been years. Since that time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), of which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a part of, has continued its campaign of intimidation and terror against both undocumented and actual citizens. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” funded ICE to the tune of $75 billion (yes, with a “b”) which the agency can allocate and use over the course of the next four years. This makes ICE’s budget larger than the defense spending of some countries and comparable to the U.S. Marine Corps annual budget.

Has Anything Really Changed?

On February 4, 2026, roughly one month after the murders of Renee and Alex, the Trump Administration announced it was immediately reducing the number of federal enforcement personnel in Minnesota – where Renee and Alex were murdered – by 700…but leaving 2000. This also begs the question as to whether or not ICE has changed its tactics given the public outcry and pushback it has received nationwide over its approaches in Minnesota and other areas. The official response from the Trump Administration and DHS to that question is to say yes, of course, ICE has scaled back its aggressive tactics…but it is well known that this is a lie. Independent reporting from groups that have made it their business to track and legally observe / monitor ICE have reported multiple instances of federal agents going out of their way to try to aggressively intimidate both citizens and their undocumented targets. A shift in tactics has occurred, with federal agents moving away from highly visible, aggressive street enforcement to a “quieter” approach that often appears to rely on intelligence from local law enforcement. Most resident remain cautious, however, noting that economic and social disruptions to immigrant communities have not immediately dissipated. Tension still exists, even as state officials launch investigations into the actions of federal officers during the occupation. However, despite any ramp down of operations, ICE is still a presence in Minnesota…and is expanding to other cities, moving beyond border states to increase detention capacity and enforcement in other states, implementing major surges in areas like Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.

So…not really much has changed.

Out With the Old and In With the…Completely Unqualified?

On March 5, 2026, Kristi Noem – the embattled U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, arguably in charge of DHS, Border Patrol, and ICE operations – was fired. Noem had been appointed to spearhead Trump’s hardline immigration and border security agenda at the start of his second term after proving her bootlicking loyalty to him by deploying National Guard troops to the southern border and supporting him through 2024. The Trump Administration has stated that she was being “re-assigned” to become the “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” a clearly made-up position that serves no purpose other than to help the administration save face with their MAGA base that would most likely view her firing as a weakness (“I surround myself with only the best and most serious people. We want top-of-the-line professionals.” – Trump). But everyone knows it is not a real agency or position.

The reasons for Noem’s ouster are not necessarily related to the overly aggressive tactics of ICE she encouraged, that resulted in the murder and deportation of American citizens, but can be more directly associated with her obvious corruption, self-service, leadership failures and stating that the administration has approved of her actions – specifically with respect to her spending $220 million (yes, with an “m”) on an ad campaign that was focused on her exclusively. Her potential replacement, Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin, has zero direct, professional, or specialized experience in border control, immigration law, or national security. Before being voted to represent Oklahoma – which should be regarded as a miracle unto itself given that he was a plumber who took over his family’s business beforehand. Allegedly, he has also been an MMA fighter, although not professionally on any level, obviously. All of that said, Mullin has been a vocal Trump supporter…which will more than likely endear him to the current president.

On March 23, 2026, Markwayne Mullin was confirmed to become the next Secretary of Homeland Security in a 54 – 45 vote. Only the best indeed. Occurring at the same time as a partial government shutdown driven primarily by disagreement between Republicans and Democrats over funding to DHS – specifically to ICE – the White House announced that ICE would be deployed to airports to “assist” Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff who were not being paid due to the shutdown. It should be noted here that while TSA employees were not being paid during this time frame, ICE was still receiving their paychecks…as a result of being the most funded federal agency due to Trump’s “BBB.” Observers have noted that federal officers did nothing to assist TSA staff, primarily standing around, causing unease for people coming and going to and from airports. They did, however, arrest and detain over 800 allegedly undocumented individuals during this timeframe, using information provided by TSA about traveler’s plans.

On March 27th, the Senate passed a bill by voice vote which was intended to end the 42-day atrial shutdown, funding TSA and other affiliate agencies of DHS, but excluding ICE. However, the House rejected this bi-partisan funding bill, with Mike Johnson and conservatives characterizing it as a “joke,” aiming to use budget reconciliation to achieve full funding despite what had been agreed to in the Senate.

The latest fascist-like behavior from DHS and the Trump Administration comes from newly minted Secretary of Homeland Security Mullin, who on April 4th questioned whether cities with international airports that do not work with DHS should face repercussions, such as losing access to customs processing.

"If they’re a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into — into their city? Seriously, if they’re a sanctuary city and they’re receiving international flights, and we’re asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they’re not going to enforce immigration policy? Maybe we need have a really hard look at that, because we need to focus on cities that want to work with us.” – Markwayne Mullin

As one might imagine, this did not go over very well with the airline and airport industry, drawing swift criticism from legal experts and industry watchers, with all noting that pulling customs services would severely cripple travel and tourism. His comments appear to align with his predecessor Noam, who alleged that “sanctuary” cities were obstructing enforcement of immigration laws, without providing evidence of such actions.

The New Normal

It can be, and has been, argued that the Trump Administration’s use of DHS, particularly ICE, is a means by which to “normalize” the appearance of a paramilitary force in all major cities, but specifically those cities that are considered “blue.” This serves to intimidate the local citizenry into submission. Trump’s Praetorian Guard is better funded and armed than some countries, and his predilection for threats and intimidation is well documented. Unless Democrats can achieve victory in the November midterms, this writer fears that ICE will simply continue to expand its operational goals…until every city experiences the visual of seeing armed and masked wannabe soldiers patrolling their streets and demanding to see the papers of anyone whose skin tone is not white.

Come November, we all must vote as if our lives depend on it…because they do.