What in the World - ICE explained: What powers do its agents have?

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Protesters have taken to the streets and tensions are running high in the city of Minneapolis in the US, after ICE agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man named Alex Pretti on Saturday. This comes just weeks after another ICE agent shot and killed US citizen Renee Nicole Good in the same city.

Kristi Noem, the head of the US Department of Homeland Security, accused both Alex and Renee of ‘domestic terrorism’. But some lawmakers - and protesters - have said the killings raise concerns about ICE’s operations across the country.

BBC journalist Kayla Epstein, who’s based in New York, joins us to explain how much power ICE has, why they’re being deployed and why some people say they’re controversial.

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Published on Monday, 26th January 2026.

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