The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been in the news for the last few months due to their brutal raids that have caused outrage across the entire country. What started as a policy to detain, punish and deport illegal immigrants and criminals by the Trump administration has allegedly become a movement that has instilled fear in everyone’s mind.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been in the news for the last few months due to their brutal raids, which have caused outrage across the entire country. What started as a policy by the Trump administration to detain, punish, and deport illegal immigrants and criminals has allegedly become a movement that has instilled fear in everyone’s mind.
With reports of ICE authorities abruptly arresting people, spraying pepper spray on a toddler, pointing guns randomly, and scaring residents, these instances of abuse and bullying have triggered several protests questioning the essence of free will that America was once known for.
Despite the recent cases showing how families have suffered because of ICE raids, things don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. A recent video circulating widely online appears to show ICE agents detaining a man and then tossing his belongings onto the ground before driving away.
The footage, shared on X, was posted with the caption: “This is how ICE treats United States citizens who have proper identification. A Mexican-American worker in Raleigh, NC, was detained and harassed by disrespectful agents on November 18, 2025. After releasing him, they tossed his wallet and belongings on the ground.”
According to Mirror US, the clip was filmed by a man speaking Spanish. It showed heavily armed agents dragging a man into a vehicle and, moments later, dropping what appeared to be his items onto the pavement before shutting the doors and driving off after realizing they had picked up the wrong person.
ICE uncuffs a Latino man after realizing he’s a U.S. citizen, dumps his things on the roadside before speeding away.
This is just racial profiling & state violence from poorly trained goons with no oversight. If this is how they act on camera, imagine when no one is filming. pic.twitter.com/EvcokP8Vus
— Beyond the Ballot (@beyondballott) November 19, 2025
The incident comes as federal immigration operations intensify across North Carolina, following a large-scale crackdown in Charlotte where more than 130 arrests were made. As ICE agents expand their raids into the Raleigh area, people are scared to live normally.
Several residents have reportedly shut down shops and businesses and prefer to stay indoors in fear of being picked up off the streets. At a Raleigh City Council meeting, Mayor Janet Cowell confirmed “verified sightings” of Border Patrol agents operating in Wake County and nearby Durham County.
However, Cowell urged people to remain calm and not feel threatened by the agents. The administration claims these operations are meant to reduce local crime rates—similar to deployments of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles—which resulted in massive outrage and vandalism.
Yet local leaders in Charlotte and Raleigh point out that crime rates in both cities have been declining. With officials now shifting attention to North Carolina, a politically mixed state with a Democratic governor, Josh Stein, and a Republican-controlled legislature, the outcome of the immigration operations remains uncertain despite official reassurances.
The Trump administration is set to launch a major immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans in early December.
Officials have internally named it “Catahoula Crunch.”
Border Patrol is planning to deploy 200 agents, and Gregory Bovino is expected to lead the effort.… pic.twitter.com/7rIbbGJHPc
— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) November 20, 2025
Raleigh, known as the “City of Oaks,” is typically a relaxed city with a strong sense of community and a diverse population. Across the city, businesses that normally thrive during weekday lunch hours sat empty. Many restaurants serving Mexican, Indian, Chinese, and other cuisines were closed.
According to Mirror US, an Indian grocery store that is usually bustling was nearly deserted. Meanwhile, as per ABC 11, ICE agents are expected to remain in the areas of North Carolina mentioned above until November 21, after which around 200 agents will be transferred to New Orleans for the new operation, “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” targeting undocumented immigrants in Democratic-led states.
The level of fear caused by these arrests is so severe that even popular rapper Bad Bunny, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, has claimed he is afraid to organize concerts due to concerns that ICE agents might arrest people in the crowd.
