Since becoming president, Donald Trump’s efforts to keep out illegal immigrants have increased. The number of immigrants held in detention centers has risen nearly 75% in 2025, with 66,000 in December and 40,000 in January.
With ICE’s actions increasing, protests have been held around the country, several being in Minneapolis. One death that caused an increase in protests was the death of Renee Good. Good was in her car when she was fatally shot and killed by an ICE agent on Jan. 7, 2026. Reports say Good was trying to use her vehicle to “run a law enforcement officer over.” After her death, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Vice President JD Vance called this action an “act of terrorism.”
Two weeks later, on Jan. 24, 2026, Alex Pretti, an ICU Nurse, was fatally shot and killed by an ICE agent within the span of five seconds. Pretti was filming ICE agents who had pepper-sprayed a woman. He was then pepper-sprayed and tackled to the ground in an attempt to detain him. Agents claimed that Pretti had a handgun and acted in self-defense. Videos filmed by bystanders revealed that Pretti did not have a handgun, with two witnesses testifying that they did not see Pretti with a weapon in his possession.
With ICE’s actions increasing, junior Yoslen Robaina Santana feels they have no limit to what they are able to do.
“Trump pardoned the people who started an insurrection on our Capitol and deems ICE’s actions justifiable,” Santana said. “If it wasn’t for Trump, lives wouldn’t be lost. If it wasn’t for the mismanagement and pushing of strict agendas, ICE wouldn’t be in the position it is now.”
Along with protests happening in Minneapolis, several have been held in Indiana. One protest, held at Southport High School, caused students to receive one day of out-of-school suspension. Students received an email from the principal stating, “Beyond school discipline, these actions shook the sense of safety for many of your peers and their families.”
Senior Nathalia Hernandez feels ICE’s actions have increased for the worse.
“To top it off, over 38 deaths have occurred under ICE custody,” Hernandez said. “Over 100 U.S. citizens have been detained for the belief that they have illegal status. If they are arresting legal citizens, then it was never about keeping us safe, but rather the elimination of the foundation of our nation.”
With student safety in mind, Principal Michael Miller feels that the school environment should feel safe for the students.
“My responsibility is to ensure that every student and every family in our school community feels safe, valued, and able to focus on learning,” Miller said. “What I can speak to is the importance of maintaining a school environment where students are not living in fear and where families feel connected to their school.”
With Cass County having an estimated 3,502 immigrants, getting a VISA or work permit can take a while. Without a faster process for properly legalizing immigrants, Hernandez is concerned for them.
“Yes, we have the proper process in place to receive their residency and then citizenship,” Hernandez said. “Yes, we have VISAs and Work Permits. However, all those processes are processes that take years to finish, and one minor mistake in an application can make you have to restart. Not only that, but the processes take money to do as well. If there were a cheaper and faster way to ensure immigrants a way to legalize, that would avoid the fear of being deported in the land of opportunities.”
With a large, diverse community such as Logansport, Miller expressed concern with providing a safe environment for students.
“When students are worried about what is happening outside of school, it directly affects their ability to learn inside the classroom,” Miller said. “Our focus is on maintaining strong relationships, clear communication, and support systems so that the school remains a stable and positive place.”
Though protests can put participants at risk, Santana feels they can help with change.
“I believe that these protests do help because, whether our elected officials like to see it or not, the youth have a voice, and they are speaking,” Santana said. “We do not want our classmates taken from us. What is stopping ICE from coming into Logansport? Nothing. That is what we are standing up for, and a voice heard, is change pending.”
