Damning Report Exposes Viral Pattern Of Criminal Abuse And Misconduct Within ICE Ranks

February 12, 2026
At least two dozen ICE employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020. Their arrests include physical and sexual abuse, corruption, and abuse of authority.
A new review found that the recent arrests of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents show an alarming pattern of misconduct and abuse that could be on the rise. The review by The Associated Press found that at least two dozen ICE employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020. Their arrests include physical and sexual abuse, corruption, and abuse of authority.
Some experts are now sounding the alarm that these incidents could increase as the Trump administration has emboldened the actions of agents while arguing that they have “absolute immunity.” One concern among law enforcement leaders is whether job applicants receive sufficient vetting and training before being assigned to field operations.
“Once a person is hired, brought on, goes through the training, and they are not the right person, it is difficult to get rid of them, and there will be a price to be paid later down the road by everyone,” Gil Kerlikowske, former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told the AP.
The AP review found that while there are bad employees and crimes related to domestic violence and substance abuse in many law enforcement agencies countrywide, ICE’s rapid growth and their task of deporting millions are unprecedented and leave agents with immense power over vulnerable communities.
So far, at least 17 ICE employees and contractors have been convicted since 2020. Six others are awaiting trial, and nine employees have been charged in the last year.
Some of the most high-profile cases include:
In response to the review, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that wrongdoing was not widespread within the agency and that the department “takes allegations of misconduct by its employees extremely seriously.”
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