Volume 1: Edition 2

A January Recap

ICE Is Not Here For Your Protection

Sarah Elgheriani

In November 2025, I attended a teach-in on immigrant rights and protocol when interacting with ICE agents. The organizers gave out red cards–laminated pamphlets outlining the constitutional rights of documented and undocumented US residents to refuse cooperation with ICE– and a panel of speakers shared stories of their professional and personal experience with ICE activity in their communities. These types of workshops have become increasingly necessary across the United States since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term. From elementary schools to community centers, the threat of ICE raids is very real, and an important safeguard has been knowing the limits to ICE’s authority. The rules constraining ICE officers are defined: They cannot enter a home or establishment without a signed warrant and cannot search individuals without their consent and without probable cause, and no one is obligated to answer their questions or speak to them.

However, as raids have escalated in both scale and aggression, these rules have come into question. In early January of this year, ICE agents shot and killed a woman outside her home in Minneapolis in an act of abhorrent and unwarranted violence- a clear abuse of power. Yet, the Trump administration refused to condemn this action. “He was doing his job,” vice president JD Vance said.“That guy is protected by absolute immunity.”

What exactly is included in ICE agents’ job description is becoming increasingly unclear under the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security claims that their role is "to remove the worst of the worst out of our country," painting immigrants as criminals and domestic terrorists, yet the majority of immigrants detained by ICE and deported to prisons in El Salvador over the past year had no criminal records and were not granted due process, a basic constitutional right.

Rather, it seems the Trump administration is using ICE  as a weapon to suppress political dissent. Alex Karp, CEO of surveillance tech company Palantir– which supplies ICE with the data necessary to identify and track noncitizens and conduct raids– publicly claimed that Americans can only feel safe when their adversaries “wake up scared and go to bed scared.” In this case, those adversaries are whoever the state decides they are: immigrants, minorities, and political activitists– lest we forget the detainment of Mohsen Mahdawi and Mahmoud Khalil in 2025 after their outspoken protests for Palestine. Under the guise of the infamous "Make America Great Again" slogan, the government has deprived a chunk of this nation's residents the right to safety in their own homes and communities.

The Trump administration continues to drastically expand ICE's reach and power. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recently abolished the age limit to become an ICE agent, a decision the DHS, on their official website, claim will allow “even more patriots will qualify to join ICE".In a televised interview, vice president JD Vance said the ICE agents will be going door to door to search for illegal immigrants. Agents are masked and patrol in unmarked cars, arresting citizens and noncitizens alike, detaining young children and demanding compliance through threats and force. Meanwhile, the killing of legal observers and civilians by agents has continued, unchecked by the federal government.

That said, the fight is far from lost. Across states, politicians and leaders have stepped forward to protect the safety and rights of their residents and push back against unconstitutional measures taken by ICE. Minnesota and Illinois have since invoked the 10th amendment to limit ICE’s activities within their borders, citing each state’s constitutional right to protect its citizens and rejecting Trump’s deployment of ICE as tantamount to federal overreach and a violation of their state’s sovereignty. Philadelphia police chief Rochelle Bilal spoke of them as “fake law enforcement,”a sentiment echoed by District Attorney Larry Krasner, who addressed ICE agents, saying “We will arrest you. We will put handcuffs on you. We will close those cuffs. We will put you in a cell. We will do everything in our power to convict you and we will make sure you serve your entire sentence because Donald Trump has no power whatsoever to pardon you.” 

Finally, the question to ask is: In a country and administration that claims to so highly value the constitution, when do we say that this use of armed forces is unconstitutional?

Sources:

 

 

Is Venezuela the New Model of American Imperialism?

haamim iqbal

“They took our oil away from us. They took the infrastructure away…we’re gonna take our oil back”-Donald Trump, January 4th 2026. 

On January 3rd, 2026, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cillia Flores were kidnapped by the US military. The DOJ has accused Maduro of conspiring with drug cartels to traffic narcotics into the United States, and court proceedings have begun in New York. While the charges he’s facing are for alleged drug trafficking, there have been accusations that the US simply did this to gain access to Venezuela’s oil reserves. Accusations that may remind some of you of another foreign intervention by the United States. I’m certainly not the first to compare this to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. There’s an excellent clip from The Daily Show that shows how similar the wording of people’s justifications for intervention in the two countries are. While these similarities between recent US action in Venezuela and the Iraq War clearly exist, there are also important differences that tell us a lot about how America’s approach to getting what it desires has changed since the Iraq War. The Iraq War was a war, Saddam’s government was overthrown, and US troops remained in Iraq for years after Saddam’s execution. This can be contrasted with the “grab and go” approach taken in Venezuela by the Trump administration. Maduro was taken, but the rest of the government remains intact, with Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez assuming power. The goal is to scare the rest of the Venezuelan government into complying with US demands without having to sustain a prolonged military conflict. And if this new model of regime change proves successful, Venezuela may not be the last to be a victim of it. Trump has recently talked about what he calls the “Donroe Doctrine”, which is his take on the Monroe Doctrine. It’s essentially a principle that America needs to be predominant in the Western Hemisphere. Even countries that are allies of the US aren’t necessarily safe. Canada, a NATO member, has recently been prepping for a hypothetical US invasion. Greenland in particular seems to have caught Trump’s eye; he proposed purchasing the territory from NATO member Denmark during his first term, and in his second term, he seems especially fixated on acquiring it, even refusing to rule out military force for a while. He’s seemingly reversed course now, but it’s really anyone’s guess how long until he changes his mind again. 

 

Updates on Gaza

Asra kakar

The Israeli government has announced a possibility for the Rafah border crossing to be opened soon. Currently, the IDF are in search of Ran Gvili’s body, known as the last hostage Hamas had in possession. If Gvili’s body is found, Israel must reopen the Rafah crossing in accordance with the ceasefire agreement orchestrated by Trump. 

From the start, international pressure has been placed on Israel to reopen the border crossing. The border crossing is essential for the livelihood of 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza as it brings in humanitarian aid and access to other resources. However, the opening of it has been discouraged and delayed by members of the Israeli government. The search for the body may take several days or more but marks a turning point for Gaza.  


Alongside the search of the final body, the steps in Trump’s 20-part plan for Gaza continue to move underway. The White House has announced the members of the Board of Peace and Gaza Executive Board, with notably, no Palestinians involved. The future leaders range from Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, Ajay Banga, Robert Gabriel, Hakan Fidan, and more. These boards are meant to enhance and support the future technocratic government for Gaza. The technocratic government power will rely on experts rather than politicians, for technical management purposes. The White House plans to announce more members later on.


The future of 2.1 million civilians lies in the hands of the American government and other outside influences. 

 

Droplets of Dawah

Conversations exchanged at the dawah table, sometimes between non-Muslims, and sometimes between our Brothers and Sisters in Islam, aided by a reflection from our Dawah Table Warriors.

dawah table warriors

“Muslims pray to worship God, stay connected to Him, and remind themselves of their purpose and values throughout the day. Prayer is done five times daily at set times, following a specific form taught by the Prophet ﷺ that includes standing, bowing, prostrating, and reciting verses from the Qur’an. It’s both an act of devotion and a moment of discipline, gratitude, and inner peace.”

 

RSO Highlight: Faces of Afro-Muslims (FAM)

Khadija elmahi & Rayan ali

F.aces of A.fro - M.uslims is a new RSO, started in 2019, was meant to bring a third space to students on UC Davis campus. Representing Afro and Muslim students alike, as a place to come together and build community, make friends, and build a FAMily amongst our brothers and sisters. We plan on hosting a variety of events for students on campus, as we continue throughout the year, maximizing our time together. Our events our always open to all, so feel free to attend any of our future events and keep in touch!

 

Thank you for reading our second edition of Al-Harakah, look out for future editions, and please reach out if you would like to be featured in our next edition!