Por Jazzari T. Taylor,  Policy Advocate, Latino Outdoors

ICE raids are not “public safety.” They are terror and are disruptive by design. They do not begin to capture the broader impacts of the current administration on the nation’s economy and environment, as outlined by Climate Power (January 2026).

ICE was created to enforce immigration law, but has been weaponized to advance political agendas hidden behind “Make America Great Again” propaganda. Individuals and communities are being racially profiled, detained without due process, children are separated from parents, and families are ripped apart in minutes. ICE is entering homes without a judge’s warrant.

People have gone missing. People have been harmed by the very country they looked to for opportunity and hope. People have died at the hands of political agendas, untrained agents, and hate.

Justice for those killed. Justice for the thousands still in detention centers. Justice for those wrongfully deported, violently injured, and terrorized.

Something I heard recently has been sitting with me: “We are all living different realities.” I see it online and within my own family. Someone will say, “But we’re okay,” or “That’s not us,” or “We’re not like them — we came here the legal way.”

I try to understand where those statements come from. Assimilation. Survival tactics. Fear. Propaganda repeated so long that it starts to feel like the truth. But understanding isn’t the same as justifying. Explaining the mindset doesn’t erase the harm.

Because I keep coming back to the same question: who is “them”?

Most of the time, “them” just means other people different by language, culture, race, who they love, identity, or immigration status. And once someone becomes “other,” it becomes easier to deny them rights. Underneath it all is a curated narrative of who gets to belong and who doesn’t. Who is “American enough”? People are labeled “immigrants” like it’s an insult, on lands that were never meant to be measured by imaginary lines.

Borders have been used to decide who is welcome, who is punished, and who is forced to prove their humanity. Indigenous people, who have always been here, are still expected to fight for recognition and protection on their own homelands.

None of this is normal. All of this has been strategically created for the benefit of the few.

So I have to ask: what does it even mean to be American? Is it a birth certificate? A passport? A look? A last name? A language spoken? Or is it a dream we’re constantly striving for? This is both rhetorical and thought-provoking.

What many of us were taught “being American” meant came with freedom, equality, and the right to be one’s true self. Challenging false narratives isn’t unpatriotic; it’s necessary. Right now, the U.S. feels so far from that dream that I barely recognize it. It’s heartbreaking. But I still believe in the power of people to hold this country accountable.

Maybe this is the opportunity to redefine “American” not as gatekeepers, but as protectors. Not as owners, but as stewards. People are willing to learn, reflect, and face the past so we don’t repeat it. The right to exist in a safe world that offers the opportunity to dream should not be something you have to earn.

History isn’t only written by politicians. It’s written by what the rest of us accept as normal. And this moment is a moral test. Morality isn’t abstract; it exists right now in front of all. It exists right now, the choice between silence and solidarity.

I refuse to accept systems that treat human beings as disposable. There is nothing moral about terrorizing communities. If you’re ready to take action right now, here is one immediate way to help:

Tell Congress: No More Tax Dollars for ICE & CBP. We Demand Accountability. Congress is considering funding levels for ICE and CBP in upcoming federal spending decisions. Our communities should not be asked to bankroll agencies that continue racial profiling, detention, deportation, and harm without real oversight. Use this tool to contact your representatives and demand accountability, meaningful limits, and a vote against expanding this violence.