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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official told Newsweek that the use of Border Patrol agents in interior immigration enforcement could lead to further serious injuries or deaths among U.S. citizens and migrants.
Darius Reeves, who previously served as field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Baltimore, told Newsweek that the tactics now being used in cities such as Minneapolis are poorly suited for the interior of the country and increase the risk of dangerous encounters.
"It’s going to get worse," Reeves told Newsweek in a phone interview. "I think there are going to be a lot more people hurt.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and Border Patrol, said: “Border Patrol’s mission includes performing sworn duties within 100 miles of U.S. borders. Border Patrol Agents are highly trained and required to meet the highest standards of professionalism and law enforcement capability."
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The fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis has ignited protests across the United States and renewed calls for accountability and reform. Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, was shot and killed on January 7 when Ross, an experienced ICE officer, fired multiple shots into her vehicle. The Trump Administration has said Good was aiming her car at the officer but local officials say video evidence shows she was attempting to drive away.
Federal agencies, including ICE and the U.S. Border Patrol, have come under growing scrutiny following more videos and reports from Minnesota, Chicago, and Los Angeles showing agents detaining individuals who later said they were U.S. citizens.
The incidents come as the Trump administration presses ahead with its flagship mass deportation policy, expanding the role of Border Patrol in interior enforcement and prompting renewed questions about oversight, training, and the risk of mistaken or aggressive encounters away from the border.
"They brought their Border Patrol tactics with them into the interior United States, and that's a recipe for disaster," said Reeves, who retired in 2025.
Operations by U.S. Border Patrol in interior cities have drawn a wave of backlash for what witnesses and advocacy groups describe as heavy-handed tactics. Reports and video footage show agents deploying tear gas, forcibly dragging people from their vehicles, conducting frequent stops, and detaining individuals under aggressive circumstances.
Civil rights organizations have raised allegations of racial profiling, arguing that the enforcement actions disproportionately target Black, Latino, and immigrant communities.
Reeves said part of the problem is widespread confusion about the different federal agencies involved in immigration enforcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) both fall under the Department of Homeland Security, but they are separate agencies with distinct missions, authorities, and training.
ICE has two primary law enforcement components. Historically, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has handled complex criminal investigations, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, financial crimes, and child exploitation. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is responsible for civil immigration enforcement in the interior of the country, including arresting and detaining migrants with final orders of removal.
CBP, by contrast, is focused on border and port-of-entry security. Its largest component is the U.S. Border Patrol, which deals with the areas between official ports of entry and operates primarily near the U.S. border, often under different legal authorities from ICE. CBP also includes the Office of Field Operations, which staffs ports of entry such as airports and land crossings, and Air and Marine Operations (AMO), which provides aviation and maritime support for border security missions.
Federal resources from agencies such as the DEA, FBI, ATF, and U.S. Marshals have also been directed to assist in immigration arrests alongside ICE and Border Patrol, expanding the scope of enforcement operations beyond traditional immigration authorities.
Reeves said problems arise when agencies, particularly the Border Patrol, are deployed for interior immigration enforcement without clear coordination, public explanation, or defined authority and rules of engagement, creating confusion over who is operating and increasing the risk of violent encounters when Border Patrol units act deep inside the country without close coordination with ICE leadership or local law enforcement.
"They are going to operate as if they’re on the border, in the interior aspects of the United States," Reeves said. "And you just cannot—you can’t do that," he said. "Any time you bring the Border Patrol from the border into the interior of the United States for any type of enforcement activity, the wheels are going to fall off."
Reeves said ERO historically sought to avoid encounters with U.S. citizens and focused instead on individuals with final orders of removal issued by immigration judges, fugitives from immigration court, or people wanted abroad under verified Interpol warrants. Border Patrol agents, he said, are trained to rapidly establish immigration status in border regions and may use tactics suited to those environments.
Reeves also raised concerns about rapid hiring across DHS, particularly within ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, saying it has diluted experience and professionalism. He said former colleagues report declining morale, early retirements and departures for other agencies.
"It’s taken away from our level of professionalism, it’s taken away from our level of expertise," Reeves said.
Reeves questioned whether the sequence of high-profile operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minnesota could signal a national strategy of mass enforcement operations across the nation ahead of the midterms. While saying he had no direct knowledge of internal DHS or White House discussions, he expressed concern about the trajectory of immigration enforcement.
"I’ve never seen anything like this," Reeves said. "It’s just a dress rehearsal for something else that’s coming our way."
What the DHS said in full
DHS Spokesperson told Newsweek: “Apprehensions at the U.S. border are down to a 50-year low, thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem enforcing our nation’s immigration laws once again and empowering Border Patrol to do the job they were not allowed to do for nearly four years under the previous administration.
“Border Patrol’s mission includes performing sworn duties within 100 miles of U.S. borders. Border Patrol Agents are highly trained and required to meet the highest standards of professionalism and law enforcement capability. Many of our agents have backgrounds in the military or local law enforcement and Border Patrol agents receive extensive federal law enforcement training, at FLETC training centers, just as ICE officers do. The disgusting attempts by the media to say these agents are not trained to enforce the law is shameful and laughable.
“We are not going to risk operational security and confirm the exact number of agents, Border Patrol or otherwise, that are working across the U.S. to keep Americans safe from drug traffickers, murders, pedophiles and gang members in our communities.”
Update 1/22/2026, 01:05 p.m. Eastern time: This article was updated to include comment from the DHS.
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