YouGov polling recently found that half of Americans now “somewhat or strongly” support the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This data follows the over-390,000 people deported by ICE between January 2025 and January 2026, during which ICE was also granted more than $28 billion in federal funding, according to the American Friends Service Committee (ASFC).
However, despite growing federal support for ICE, public opinion has lessened. The 50% of Americans who don’t support ICE (according to YouGov) is a 4% increase from the beginning of January 2026. As ICE continues to use brutality against members of American neighborhoods and communities, the communities are pushing back.
Protesting the overreach of ICE is essential to creating change, and one can speak out in several different ways–even from their own home.
One of the most popular ways to speak out against the actions of ICE is through attending a protest. There are several throughout the St. Louis area.
For example, Indivisible St. Louis organizes a protest every Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Ronnie’s Plaza. According to the Indivisible St. Louis website, the purpose of the protest is to “demand action against ICE violence.”
Another method of protesting the brutality of ICE is to contact local members of Congress. Missouri senators and representatives–get this–represent Missourians. Let Senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt know that it is within their best interest–from a political perspective, if not a humanitarian one–that they vote against giving more money and power to ICE. The United States is still a democracy. Voters can still hold the power if they use it effectively.
For those unsure of where to start when contacting their representatives, several sites have pre-written emails. By filling out a form with just a name, address, email and phone number, this message can be sent out to one’s local politicians. It is a quick and easy way to participate in the government, and to use one’s voting power for the better.
A few websites with these messages include the National Education Association (NEA), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Immigration Law Center (NILC), and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). (A Google search for “message reps about ICE” can also help to find these sources.)
Registered voters can also sign petitions available online. The ACLU and actionnetwork.org both have several different petitions on their websites.
There are also opportunities to get even more involved, through volunteering with organizations that support immigrants (like the International Institute of St. Louis) or donating money.
Though it is easy to feel discouraged at the lack of checks on President Trump’s power, it will only continue to grow if it is not challenged. Within the first year of Trump’s second term, Americans have seen politicians afraid to stand up to the president and fight back against him. The lack of restrictions on the powers of ICE are only an extension of this overreach. At this point, the power to make change has turned to the American people.
Yes, the powers of ICE and Trump seem to continue growing each day–but without pushback, it is certain this will never change. Even the smallest of actions–signing a petition, sending an email–can be part of a larger movement, a push to strengthen democracy.
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