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The Conversation
The Conversation
Pawan Dhingra, Professor of U.S. Immigration Studies, Amherst College

How the 9/11 terrorist attacks shaped ICE’s immigration strategy

Tear gas fills the air in south Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026, after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti. Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune

Stephen Miller’s January 2026 announcement to Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers – telling them that they have “immunity to perform your duties” and that no “illegal alien, no leftist agitator or domestic insurrectionist” can stop them – may seem like an extreme statement outside the political mainstream.

And when ICE agents use facial recognition software to monitor immigrants and protesters, that might seem like an unacceptable invasion of people’s privacy.

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