Yesterday, federal authorities released mugshots of dozens of individuals taken into custody during a major ICE enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Rapists. Murderers. Sexual predators. Violent offenders. These were not traffic violators or people who simply overstayed a visa. These were hardened criminals with records that made them priorities for removal because their continued presence posed a clear danger to public safety.
And yet, that reality has been almost entirely buried beneath a single, emotionally charged narrative.
The national media has chosen to focus nearly exclusively on the fatal shooting of Renée Good during that same enforcement operation — portraying her as an innocent victim while largely ignoring the context of her actions and the purpose of the operation she interfered with.
Let’s be clear about something that far too many commentators refuse to say out loud: Renée Good was not a passive bystander. She inserted herself directly into a live federal law-enforcement operation. She used her vehicle to obstruct officers who were actively attempting to detain criminal suspects. That intrusion matters. It is not incidental. It is central to understanding what unfolded.
Federal agents were not conducting a random sweep. They were executing targeted arrests of individuals with violent criminal histories. When a civilian deliberately interferes with that kind of operation, the risk level changes instantly — for everyone involved.
But while the media loops the same footage and politicians rush to microphones, another part of the ICE story goes completely untold.
In recent weeks, ICE has conducted enforcement actions in New Jersey that look nothing like the caricature painted by activists. Several undocumented construction workers were encountered by federal agents. One individual — well known in his church community — was detained and deported after acknowledging his unlawful status. The process was orderly. Respectful. And notably, the federal government has already offered him a legal pathway to return to the United States.
Another worker from the same site was detained briefly, questioned, and then released back to his family.
Here’s why.
He has no criminal record. Not a misdemeanor. Not a DUI. Not even a speeding ticket. He has paid taxes for every year he has lived in this country — and he has the receipts to prove it. He has multiple children. One of his sons currently serves in the United States armed forces. Two years ago, he began the process of applying for legal status.
And despite the fact that he is technically here unlawfully, ICE exercised discretion. He was not deported. He was not separated from his family. He was not treated as a threat — because he isn’t one.
No protest marches were organized for him. No national headlines were written. No elected officials held press conferences demanding ICE be dismantled because of his case.
Why?
Because that story doesn’t serve the outrage economy.
ICE is not a monolith. It is not a rogue agency roaming the streets indiscriminately. In Minneapolis, it was focused on removing dangerous criminals. In New Jersey, it demonstrated judgment, restraint, and compassion toward individuals who posed no threat to public safety.
Both of those things can be true at the same time — even though the media refuses to acknowledge it.
What we are witnessing right now is not a serious debate over immigration policy. It is a selective presentation of facts designed to provoke emotion while suppressing context. One tragic death is being used to delegitimize an entire enforcement system — even as that system is actively removing rapists and murderers from American communities.
The comparison that no one wants to make is also the one that matters most.
On one side are violent criminals with records that justify removal. On the other side are non-violent individuals who work, pay taxes, raise families, and are often handled with discretion by ICE officers who understand the difference.
And then there is the third category — activists who intentionally insert themselves into enforcement operations, escalate confrontations, and then expect law enforcement outcomes to remain predictable and risk-free.
That is not how reality works.
If America wants honest immigration reform, it starts with honest storytelling. It starts with acknowledging that enforcement is not cruelty, discretion is not weakness, and interference has consequences.
These are the ICE stories they don’t tell you.
And until they do, the public will keep being misled — not by agents on the ground, but by those who profit politically from half the truth. Because in the end, America deserves enforcement that is just, effective, and humane — and a public that isn’t misled by only half the truth.