Former ICE agent says ‘opposition now organized’ against investigations

(FOX 9) - As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations continue to crackdown on illegal immigration at the direction of the Trump Administration, one former official with the department says that operations have changed due to "organized opposition" toward the work they are tasked with.

Minnesota ICE raids

What we know:

ICE and other federal agencies conducted a search warrant on Nov. 18, at Bro Tex in St. Paul as part of a criminal investigation.

Protesters were present when immigration agents arrived at the business, having reportedly been tipped off about the raid. At the scene, demonstrators clashed with masked agents, who ultimately used chemical spray to disperse the crowd.

The agency has since stated there was no threat to public safety, and an investigation is ongoing.

In recent months, ICE investigations have increased throughout Minnesota.

In late October, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the Twin Cities to outline recent arrest efforts.

ICE opposition organized

What they're saying:

Speaking with FOX 9’s All Day on Wednesday, retired ICE Agent Jim Hayes outlined that although the work of ICE agents is more in focus in recent months, the work has remained largely the same – despite increased efforts to protest against them.

"I think one of the things that's changed is the opposition to immigration enforcement in this country has become much more organized. And in such a way that there are people and organizations that are committed to identifying these agents," Hayes said. "People say that this administration has changed the game, they've changed the tactics. And I think it's important to remember that they haven't… They're doing the work that Congress has said years ago should be done."

Hayes pointed to past administrations under both presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as Trump’s first term, that provided more relaxed immigration enforcement that has since been ramped up.

"These were the most welcoming administrations for foreign nationals, particularly the Biden administration, where they made it so that you could schedule your appointment to enter the U.S. and claim asylum on an app," Hayes said.

According to Hayes, agents’ personal information such as phone numbers and addresses becoming public, in addition to threats of violence, has resulted in the increased usage of masks among agents during active investigations.

"I think that the change here in terms of the demeanor and the appearance of the agents is more of a protective mechanism," Hayes explained. "It's gone beyond harassment. It's gone to people showing up at their home… People have the right in this country to disagree, to not believe in these laws. There are ways to handle that other than trying to harm or put in harm's way the people who were hired by the government to carry out the laws enacted by Congress."

Addressing criticism over a lack of departmental transparency with the public, Hayes says that ICE has historically not informed local law enforcement agencies regarding the planning of operations.

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul political leaders have vowed that their respective agencies would not cooperate if they had – an ideological divide that Hayes says hurts overall objectives.

"Ideally, you'd love to be able to tell local law enforcement. You'd love to be able to communicate with select local political leaders, that we have an investigation," Hayes said. "The issue is the polarization of immigration."

Hayes says that ICE is responsible for enforcing more than 400 federal statutes, the majority of which do not touch on immigration.

"But because it's linked to the ICE name, elected officials in many instances have gone and informed the community," Hayes said. "And that creates a dangerous situation for agents… That's the difficult balance that this agency finds itself in."