Lauge Risom Koch 
A new ACLU report found that nearly one-third of more than 1,200 ICE enforcement operations reviewed involved the use or threat of force, prompting renewed scrutiny of the agency’s tactics and training.
A new report has raised concerns about the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, concluding that the use or threat of force has become increasingly common during immigration enforcement operations.
According to NPR, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) examined more than 1,200 immigration enforcement actions carried out by ICE or partner law enforcement agencies across eight states between January and the end of 2025.
Report findings
The NPR report said nearly one-third of the documented incidents involved the use of force or the threat of force.
“You’re seeing the threat of using force and actually using it become the default tool for immigration enforcement agents,” said Naureen Shah, the ACLU’s director of policy and government affairs for immigration and one of the report’s authors.
The ACLU’s review drew on news reports, community group accounts and public statements from institutions including schools and hospitals. The report also noted that it represents only a snapshot of enforcement activity, with many operations going undocumented.
Enforcement tactics
According to NPR, researchers documented more than 400 incidents in which officers pushed, tackled or pinned individuals to the ground. They also recorded hundreds of cases involving chemical irritants, Tasers and rubber bullets, as well as dozens of incidents involving chokeholds or officers placing a knee on a person’s neck.
The report said many of the encounters occurred in everyday public locations, including roads, grocery stores and bus stops, and involved children, U.S. citizens, journalists, protesters and bystanders.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about the report’s findings, according to NPR.
Growing concerns
The NPR report also highlighted concerns from policing experts about ICE’s increased use of traffic stops, particularly after two recent fatal shootings involving motorists in Texas and Maine.
Experts interviewed by NPR said the agency’s evolving enforcement tactics may require additional training and supervision. The report added that ICE has paused non-urgent traffic stops following the shootings, although President Donald Trump later called for the practice to continue.
Sources: NPR, American Civil Liberties Union
