Last month on Long Island, one of my close friends, a Mexican American I grew up with and went to school with, was walking to work when two unmarked black SUVs pulled up. Several men wearing masks and no identifiable clothing jumped out, did not clearly announce who they were, grabbed him, and forced him into one of the vehicles. Only after he was restrained did they claim to be ICE. He showed them his valid ID, but they told him it was fake anyway. They took him to a detention facility and held him there for the entire day, finally releasing him around 10 PM. His family came to this country legally in the 1940s. He was born here. He is a U.S. citizen.
Even if people support immigration enforcement, this should worry everyone. Masked men in unmarked vehicles grabbing people off the street without clearly identifying themselves, dismissing valid ID, and detaining a citizen for hours looks indistinguishable from an abduction. That is not law and order. It is a breakdown of basic constitutional protections. If this can happen to a U.S. citizen going to work, it can happen to anyone. Accountability and clear limits on enforcement matter, no matter where you stand politically.