(Illustration by Salon / Getty Images / John Moore / Nikos Frazier / Omaha World-Herald / Compliant Technologies Manual)
Since Markwayne Mullin took over the Department of Homeland Security in March, Immigration and Custom Enforcement has dialed back on the trolling. Gone are the videos and memes, posted regularly under the leadership of Mullin’s predecessor Kristi Noem, that mocked detainees for crying and celebrated ICE agents for being recklessly violent. There have been no more showy “invasions” of cities like Minneapolis or Los Angeles, as Mullin has aimed to draw less attention to ICE’s incompetent and legally dubious methods. His strategy has largely worked in getting the unpopular agency’s name out of the headlines.
But that doesn’t mean ICE has given up on fulfilling Donald Trump and Stephen Miller’s cruel fantasies. The xenophobic Miller agenda is still being treated as the vanguard in White House efforts to will an authoritarian police state into being, circumventing both law and tradition to attack due process and inflict fear on the nation’s immigrant population. In early August, DHS posted a notice that they plan to buy $20 million worth of electrified shock gloves that are euphemistically described as “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices.” The gloves are truly Orwellian, cheered on by police because they inflict pain but leave “no burn marks or scars,” making it easier for law enforcement to hide the abuse and cruelty they inflict. Amnesty International opposes the use of these devices, arguing they are “readily misused for torture.”
Trump, of course, has fantasized aloud about unleashing state violence on Americans, regardless of the laws against it. The gloves provide an avenue to hurt both immigrants and protesters, while avoiding due process and legal accountability.
The gloves’ torturous potential seems the biggest part of their appeal to the administration. Mullin has previously defended the killing of nonviolent anti-ICE protesters, while Miller regularly paints progressive protesters and immigrants as apocalyptic threats that need be countered with violence. Trump, of course, has fantasized aloud about unleashing state violence on Americans, regardless of the laws against it. The gloves provide an avenue to hurt both immigrants and protesters, while avoiding due process and legal accountability.
As the courts keeps getting in the way of Trump’s desire to persecute people he doesn’t like, the pressure to find a way to cheat the laws guarding human rights is only intensifying. Liz Dye, legal analyst and host of the “Law and Chaos” podcast, told me that “U.S. Attorneys are being pressured to bring politically motivated cases based on shoddy or even fabricated evidence, with the predictable result that the cases implode on impact with the court system, sometimes spectacularly.”
The most recent high-profile example is the attempt by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro to prosecute David Hearn, a former Olympian who was accused of vandalizing the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. As it turned out, Hearn was being used as a scapegoat to hide Trump’s embarrassment over ruining the pool by hiring poorly qualified cronies to renovate it. Pirro eventually had to admit that the case was without merit and dropped it, even though doing so meant a well publicized dressing-down from Trump at the White House.
In a recent column for the New York Times, Jamelle Bouie observed that “The principal aim of President Trump’s second term is revenge.” Worse, most everyone Trump fixates on is innocent of wrongdoing. Their only “transgression” has been upholding the law, criticizing the president or, in many cases, simply being of a race or class of people he doesn’t like. But Trump, Bouie argued memorably, also wants revenge on the American people “for rejecting him in 2020 and dealing a grievous blow to his ego.”
As Dye explained, Trump’s efforts to use the Justice Department to exact revenge have only backfired. It has “hemorrhaged staff” because honest attorneys have rejected pressure to “drop meritorious prosecutions” so they can “bring garbage political cases” instead. The department’s reputation is in tatters. Zahid Quraishi, a federal judge in New Jersey, said it best. When throwing a federal prosecutor out of his courtroom earlier this year, Quraishi said, “Generations of Assistant U.S. Attorneys had built the goodwill of that office for your generation to destroy it within a year.”
The new ICE gloves are part of this systemic destruction, representing the pathetic means the Trump administration will use, all so they can inflict maximum punishment before the judicial system lets their targets go. The immigration system is far easier to manipulate for authoritarian purposes than the federal justice system. Undocumented residents don’t enjoy the same legal rights as citizens, and deporting someone is a much lower lift, legally speaking, than prosecuting someone for a crime they didn’t commit. And yet, as POLITICO reported this week, the administration is losing most of its deportation cases in court. Of the 20,500 tracked by the media outlet, the White House lost at least 17,600, or 85% of the time.
Unable to win in court, Trump and his officials are looking to turn the process itself into the punishment. Immigrants are held in detention camps for months, often under torturous conditions, while waiting for their cases heard. ICE raids are frequent and often violent, sometimes targeting people who have legal paperwork to be in U.S. The result is that immigrants are being kept in a constant state of psychological terror, especially with the knowledge that having legal status — or even citizenship — may not provide sufficient protection. These electric gloves are just the latest part of what amounts to a torture campaign being waged by the administration — a way for ICE to hurt and punish immigrants and their defenders under the guise of “crowd control” or “de-escalation.”
While the situation is dire, it’s also a sign that Trump is weak. This is evident in the special grand jury Pirro recently convened in Washington following rumors that her job was at stake due to her inability to successfully prosecute a series of fall guys the presidents wants to blame for his own failures. But it’s doubtful she will be able to improve on her losing record. Since Trump can’t imprison people at the scale he wants, he has to settle for harassing them instead. That’s not the behavior of the all-powerful leader he was trying to be a year ago. They are the actions of a spoiled brat trying, and failing, to cover up the stench of losing.
I have to get back to responding to comments. But I woke at 2 am all upset. Later when he got up Ron told me I was loudly begging them to take their hands off me, to stop grabbing me, to stop hurting me, and Ron said my voice was very strained, like I was trying to talk while someone had their hands around my throat. I can’t remember doing anything for the first few hours being up. I just watched videos and was in my own thoughts / head. I promise I will get back to comments. But I have to learn to function again while not seeing well, being so tired from not sleeping, and trying to do so much in the house. But I promise I will find a way. Even if I have to cut the cartoon / meme post to only a few days a week. Hugs
“Me? I’m a refugee from the meaningless, soul-killing, rapacious, stressed-out world of finance, but just for the last two weeks of August.”
The Chicago-based agent was already identified on social media and by Unraveled Press. Now, two Department of Homeland Security sources have confirmed his name to Migrant Insider.
Two sources inside the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the name of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who pointed a gun at a U.S. citizen to Migrant Insider.
The masked ICE officer who stepped out of an unmarked SUV on Monday and pointed his service weapon at Carolina Molina — a U.S. citizen, seated behind the wheel of her own car, in a parking lot off Columbia Pike in Falls Church — is Martin Lagunas, according to two DHS sources who spoke to Migrant Insider on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.
“This is the same kind of behavior that led to the murder of two American citizens,” Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) tweeted about the incident.” “Trump’s violent goon squad is out of control. We need to completely clean house and rebuild from the bottom,” he added.
DHS has not named Lagunas in any public statement. The agency’s official line after the encounter went viral described the officers as agents who feared for their safety during a “targeted immigration enforcement” operation. But Molina’s video shows her car is stationary as Lagunas points his weapon at her window and accuses her, on camera, of nearly running his team over — a lie ICE agents made after the killing of Renée Good in Minneapolis in January.
Confirming a name investigators wouldn’t
Lagunas, 40, was first publicly identified by Elgin-area ICE watchdog Ismael Cordová-Clough one week ago, and independently verified through voice and visual analysis — including a distinctive arm tattoo and a frayed “POLICE” patch worn across multiple eICEncounters — in reporting by Unraveled Press. Migrant Insider’s DHS sources corroborate that identification.
Unraveled’s reported that Lagunas is a Chicago native who led an Enforcement and Removal Operations team first documented making arrests outside Chicago’s immigration court at 55 E. Monroe Street in May 2025, and later during protests outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois — the epicenter of last fall’s Operation Midway Blitz demonstrations.
That same team surfaced again in Minneapolis in January, four days after ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot the 37-year-old Good — the case Molina herself invoked at a Wednesday press conference, saying, “I think my life was in danger at that point. It wasn’t until after I was like, this was a whole Renée Good situation again.”
Martin Lagunas’ Facebook profile picture.
The “weaponized vehicle” playbook
DHS’s account of the Virginia stop — that Molina “attempted to harm officers by weaponizing her vehicle” — repeats a pattern the agency has leaned on before, per Unraveled’s reporting: almost identical language was used to justify the fatal shootings of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park, Illinois, and Good in Minneapolis — claims that video and body-camera footage in both cases failed to support.
Molina saids the gun in her face made her start filmimg. “I think that’s why I took my cell phone out and started recording, because I’m like, ‘yo, this guy is really pointing a gun at my head.’ Like that’s insane,” she said.
DHS’s statement on the incident does not mention Lagunas by name: “The operation was targeting criminal illegal aliens, whose crimes included a hit and run and drug trafficking, and illegal aliens with final orders of removal. Fearing for their safety, ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop of the driver. Necessary background information of the driver was taken and she could face criminal prosecution as a result of her actions.”
The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office confirmed this week it is reviewing the footage. Rep. Don Beyer and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam have publicly demanded consequences for the agents involved.
Online Footprint
Four days before the Virginia stop, back in Minneapolis, Lagunas told a driver he’d blocked in with his own vehicle: “You’re not gonna like the outcome of this, sir. I guarantee you’re not going to like the outcome.” On the day Renée Good died, he’d posted about her death on his own Facebook page. The caption was one word: “FAFO.”
This is a developing story. If you have information about Lagunas or other ICE agents caught on video committing atrocities in our country, let us know at tips@migrantinsider.com or on Signal at pab.202.
A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by an Amazon representative because they wanted to recruit me as one of their “Amazon influencers”. I’ve been thinking about it seriously since then, considering that it’s a lot of money and visibility, and as an independent underground artist, I’m never really sure what tomorrow will be made of. Well I just decided to decline, as the thought of taking an active part in promoting this company was making me physically ill. I am aware that I’m saying no to a big opportunity, but staying true to myself and what I stand for is more important to me. My books will remain out of Amazon, even if that means less sales. I hope you understand – I know how easy Amazon makes it and I’m not judging anyone for buying there. I’m guilty as well. Anyway, if you’re looking for my books, they’re still on www.serioustransvibes.com or on Etsy. And if you think my independence is valuable and worth a bunch of dimes or more, please consider subscribing to my Patreon account, that’s what keeps the ship afloat : www.patreon.com/assignedmale ❤
Stacey Sloughfy is a travel writer who specializes in destinations, road trips, and travel planning. Her passion for exploring began with her first international trip to Japan, where she discovered a love for experiencing different cultures and seeing the world from new perspectives. Since then, she has traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad, helping readers discover inspiring destinations and memorable travel experiences.
Prior to contributing to TheTravel, Stacey wrote content for GoAbroad and WeSaidGoTravel. When she is not travel writing, she can often be found tending her garden, blogging, or planning her next adventure.
This article was updated on August 7 at 12:48 PM EST with a statement sent to TheTravel from Southwest Airlines
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent trying to board a Southwest Airlines flight in Dallas was reportedly stopped by a gate agent who demanded a judicial warrant before allowing the agent onto the aircraft. The July 25 incident could signal a growing pushback from airlines as immigration enforcement at U.S. airports increases.
Now, a report from The Wall Street Journal suggests Southwest employees are drawing a line when ICE agents attempt to access aircraft or passenger information without the documentation the airline requires.
Southwest Airlines Pushes Back Against ICE Enforcement At Dallas Love Field Airport
Southwest Airlines passengersCredit: Shutterstock
The incident happened at Dallas Love Field Airport on July 25 when an ICE agent attempted to board a Southwest flight headed from Dallas to Orlando to make an arrest, but a Southwest gate agent reportedly refused to allow the agent onto the aircraft without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
Southwest employees also reportedly refused to provide ICE with passenger information or allow agents to view a computer screen displaying passenger information as travelers boarded the flight. The ICE agent reportedly had an administrative warrant, which was signed by an ICE supervisor rather than an independent judge.
Southwest did not comment specifically on the reported Dallas incident but provided TheTravel with a statement outlining how the airline interacts with law enforcement.
“Southwest is committed to providing a safe travel experience for all Customers and Employees. The airline adheres to applicable state and federal law when interacting with law enforcement agencies. Southwest has longstanding policies in place to ensure appropriate legal documentation is presented by law enforcement personnel before any information about Customers is shared,” the Southwest spokesperson told TheTravel.
The statement does not confirm whether the July 25 incident occurred or address what type of warrant the ICE agent presented. It does, however, reinforce Southwest’s position that law enforcement personnel must provide appropriate legal documentation before the airline shares customer information.
Southwest Airlines aircraft taking off from Love Field in Dallas, TexasCredit: David Pillow/Dreamstime
According to the WSJ, the Dallas confrontation may not have been an isolated event. An unnamed source said roughly a half-dozen similar incidents involving Southwest have occurred in recent weeks.
An administrative warrant and a judicial warrant are not the same thing. The former is issued within the immigration enforcement system, while a judicial warrant is signed by a judge.
The distinction could become increasingly important as airlines respond to more immigration enforcement activity at airports.
Several U.S. Airlines Decline Helping ICE With Airport Arrests
Southwest is not necessarily the only airline pushing back against ICE requests at airports. The Wall Street Journal also reported that an unnamed airline at a Southern airport recently declined to help ICE agents access a jet bridge so they could arrest a man traveling with his family. The airline reportedly refused to assist the agents. The man and his family ultimately did not board the flight, according to the report.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement AgentsCredit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Wikimedia Commons
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later said ICE agents did not complete the Las Vegas airport arrest due to safety concerns. The department stated that officers “did not proceed with the arrest at the Las Vegas airport” because of “officer safety” concerns and instead arrested the passenger the following day after he departed from Los Angeles International Airport.
These encounters have raised questions about what airlines should do when federal immigration agents arrive at the gate or attempt to access an aircraft.
Airlines Seek Clearer Rules For ICE Arrests At Airports
The airline industry’s response suggests that Southwest’s experience is part of a broader concern over how ICE enforcement is being handled inside airports.
Airlines for America (A4A), a trade group representing major U.S. airlines, said its member companies have been communicating with ICE and TSA about procedures for immigration enforcement at airports.
A4A said its member companies “have had constructive discussions with ICE and TSA to ensure if law enforcement activity occurs at an airport, there are proper procedures and protocols in place to prioritize the safety and security of all involved.”
Airlines are not necessarily asking ICE to stop making arrests at airports. The bigger concern appears to be how those arrests are conducted and what access agents should have to airline-controlled areas and passenger information.
Issue
Why Airlines Are Concerned
Access to aircraft
Employees may need to determine whether agents have appropriate documentation.
Administrative warrants
Airlines may question whether these documents provide sufficient authority for certain actions
Passenger information
Carriers have policies governing when customer information can be released
Jet bridges and gates
Arrests in crowded areas can create difficult situations for employees and travelers
Safety
Airline workers have to consider the safety of passengers and crew during enforcement activity
A DHS spokesperson has defended the increase in airport enforcement. The spokesperson told NewsNation that the administration had reversed what it described as a previous policy allowing people who are in the country illegally to travel around the United States.
“DHS reversed the horrendous Biden-era policy that allowed aliens in our country illegally to jet around our country. Under President Trump, DHAS [DHS] will no longer tolerate this.”
The spokesperson added, “This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.”
The statements highlight the competing concerns at the center of the issue. Federal officials say immigration laws must be enforced, while airlines are trying to determine how those enforcement actions should take place without creating additional safety and operational problems.
TSA agents at a U.S. airportCredit: via Shutterstock
For travelers, the Southwest incident does not mean ICE agents are being barred from U.S. airports or that airlines will refuse to cooperate with immigration authorities. Instead, it shows that airlines may challenge access to aircraft or passenger information when they believe the proper legal documentation has not been provided.
As airport enforcement continues to increase, the question of where and how these arrests take place will likely remain a point of discussion between airlines, federal agencies and the public.
Not much these days, end up walking in circles around the house. Hugs
