A perfect, warm sunny day should be simple. It should be defined by the small, rhythmic rituals that make life feel steady. For me, that’s the stroll down to my favorite matcha spot to order an iced latte with just the right amount of ice, the kind of drink meant to cool you down and offer a moment of quiet clarity & bliss.
But lately, that clarity & bliss brings a bitter realization. The idea of our country united feels beyond reach. A government’s power is supposed to be a cooling force, a structure that protects and stabilizes. It is not supposed to be a tool for terrorizing innocent, hardworking people, separating families, or claiming the lives of those who were simply trying to help or searching for a way to build a better life. Honestly? Ice only belongs in my matcha, not terrorizing the country.
Since the current administration took office, the country has fractured in a way that feels permanent. I have genuinely never seen anything like it, and honestly, we shouldn’t have to. No one should ever have to watch their own home turn into a battlefield where we are forced to fight one another for basic human rights. The “division” isn’t just a talking point on the news, it’s a physical tension you can feel in the grocery store, in our schools, and on our streets. We are witnessing a shift where “security” has become a euphemism for the systematic dismantling of the communities that actually make this country run.
What this administration has been doing since they made their way into office has caused significantly more harm than good. The “net” they’ve cast is so wide & so indiscriminate that it has caught everyone in its wake. The numbers alone tell a story of a system that has shifted from targeted safety to a broad-daylight dragnet:
• The “No-Record” Surge: As of early 2026, nearly 70,000 individuals are being held in ICE detention—the highest level in U.S. history. Most strikingly, over 73% of those detainees have no criminal conviction on record.
• The “Rule-Followers” and Citizens: The fear isn’t just for the undocumented. Reports from this year indicate that dozens of U.S. citizens have been wrongfully detained by agents who “doubted” their citizenship based on nothing more than accents or appearances.
• The Neighborhood Dragnet: “At-large” arrests raids occurring in workplaces, apartment complexes, and during routine commutes have increased by 600%. This isn’t about “the worst of the worst”; it’s about a policy that values volume over justice.
The scale of this operation is fueled by a staggering $170 billion in funding a budget that now exceeds the combined spending of the FBI, DEA, and ATF. While we are told this makes us safer, federal investigators have actually been diverted from critical units to conduct traffic stops and apartment raids.
For mixed-status families, the threat is now coming from inside the systems they once relied on. New 2026 housing rules are forcing families to choose between staying together or keeping their homes, putting an estimated 37,000 children at risk of homelessness. This is the “order” being sold to us: a system that prioritizes a 400% increase in detention beds over the stability of the American home.
In the high-level debates about borders and budgets, the human cost is often reduced to a line item. But “enforcement” isn’t a theoretical concept, it’s a knock on a door at 5:00 AM. It is the trauma of a child coming home to an empty house. This administration’s shift toward “zero-tolerance” interior enforcement means that no place, not a school zone, not a hospital, not a place of worship, is truly off limits. The law is no longer acting as a shield for the innocent, it has been sharpened into a sword.
The simple idea of just driving to work is not even safe for a lot of people at the moment. You may think that if you’re just driving to work, even if it’s 5 minutes away, you’ll be fine & nothing will happen. But that is not what happened to Zelzins mom. I had the opportunity to interview Zelzin about her situation that she had unfortunately had to go through last year around the time at the start of the presidents administration.
Describe to us the day your mom was detained
On July 21, 2025 at 6:15am my mom was barely leaving the apartments to head to work. While driving, within a mile going on Rex Road heading to Paramount Blvd in Pico Rivera, she had seen an unmarked vehicle going behind her thinking that it was the police. When she pulled to the side trying to let them pass her, the unmarked vehicle, which ended up being ICE, pulled to the side with her and had 6 more unmarked vehicles surrounding her thinking that she was a threat. ICE had yelled at my mom to get out of the car. While she was going to proceed on getting out, ICE ended up removing her aggressively out of the car and zip tied her wrist tightly which resulted in her losing some circulation. While having her phone, ICE took away her device and threw it in the van, almost breaking it. Around 7:30am, my mom had the opportunity to call my sister to let her know that she had got detained by ICE. This day was one of the most heartbreaking and shocking moments for me and my siblings because she was the last person that we would think that would happen to. That same night around 11pm, my mom had called me to let me and my siblings know that she was going to be transferred to a detention center in Arizona (Eloy Detention Center).
Were you already nervous for your mom beforehand? Why or why not? If so, did you kind of warn your mom to be careful?
Ever since Trump had gone for office and how much he was mentioning about deporting immigrants, my family and I were prepared for any outcome not out of fear but to react right away and be strong throughout the process from helping my mom in a situation like this. Yes, it could be nerve wrecking (which it was) but my siblings and I just needed to react fast and to find the quickest solution to get her out of ICE custody whenever it became a result but at the same time we never wanted to think negatively for this to happen. This was the most unexpected moment that this would end up happening to me and my siblings.
Did you ever think that it would happen to your mom/family?
Yes/No because during the time I mentioned, my siblings and I never wanted to think about the worst possible scenario during the time because my mom had always been someone who was careful about any given situation. At the same time, things were escalating so quickly as it was hitting where there’s a community that’s mostly with Hispanics, we had to be more hyperaware. I would have to mention to my mom about having her a card on reading her rights and to be careful on where she was driving to work and coming home. However, this was just very unexpected.
How were you & your siblings dealing with everything since you guys had found out?
My siblings and I during this whole process of my mom being detained were very devastating, traumatic and stressful because even though we had to prepare for the worst, our nervous systems during the time were not doing so well. We had to quickly find solutions on getting a lawyer that same day, finding ways to pay bills at home and how we can get help.
How many calls would you get with your mom while she was detained and for how long?
Unfortunately our calls with our mom were limited to two-three calls a day depending on when the guards at the detention center were able to release the detainees for free time. In order for me and my siblings to be able to get a hold of her is by sending her money to make an hour phone call or 30min video calls. The detention center where my mom resided was basically like a jail since the place was bought to be converted from a jail to a detention center.
How did you feel when you were on these calls with your mom?
There were moments that we felt sad because she was in another state where it was impossible for us to visit her in person. We were only able to hear or see her when we had the opportunity. At the same time, my siblings and I were just trying to stay hopeful and positive about my mom getting out at that detention center that she was at. Although this process was tough we couldn’t think negatively about the situation we were in.
Did you ever expect to get so much support not only from your friends but even from people that you didn’t know such as TikTok? How ddid you feel seeing all the support from the community?
When I had posted a GoFundMe, TikTok, and on Instagram I never expected for so many people to spread the word on the situation that my siblings and I were going through. The community was so strong, supportive and loving that I had shared with my mom about how much people cared about the situation and that they wanted her to be out of custody. How the community knows that ever since we had a new president, that the Hispanic community has been targeted and that it’s difficult. No one should be going through this type of pain especially for us. Everytime my mom looks back on the support that we received, she always tends to remember how she wasn’t alone during the process, not even her kids.
What was your reaction to your mom even being transferred to another facility in another state?
There was only one day that my siblings and I were able to visit her in person. We were willing to make a round trip from California to Arizona (360 miles) to visit her. My siblings and I woke up at 6am to drive and made it to the detention center that my mom was at at 1pm. The visitations at the detention center were only Sundays within the hours of 9am to 3pm with only 1hr. The detainees need to make an appointment on Fridays. When we visited her, it was tears of joy of seeing all of us together again but also such a sad feeling because we weren’t able to have her come back with us home.
How did you feel this entire process?
This entire process was stressful, depressing, saddening, frustrating while remaining hopeful of the outcome but at the end of it all it was tears of joy and so much happiness of her being released from such a horrible place.
What was your first reaction to the news that they were releasing your mom?
When we heard that she was going to be released from ICE custody it was such a bittersweet feeling for us because we never lost hope during this difficult process. We never lost hope in finding a lawyer to help my mom be released and transferred back to California with us and we remained positive that the judge would approve of my mom being held out with bond. Everything came out for the best for me and my siblings but most of all for my mom. This whole process took a month of enduring many emotions.
What is the rest of the process looking like now that she is out?
As of present day, we are still continuing on fighting her case here in California on fixing her status in the United States. The process can still be stressful and difficult but we are still remaining hopeful on the outcome.
Is there anything you would like others to know whether it’s advice for people going through the same thing or something similar or even a message?
If you or someone is able to run errands for your family members or friends that may feel uncomfortable or unsafe with what’s happening, please help them.
It is important to be well informed about what’s going on with ICE and see what cities are being targeted/ impacted. This allows them to stay vigilant and careful.
When being in this type of situation, it is important to know your constitutional rights. Remain silent, do not answer any questions and do not sign anything without a lawyer.
Find an immigration lawyer that’s able to provide helpful resources and be able to fight for justice throughout this difficult process.
You may believe this would never happen to you or the people around you, but neither did Zelzin. While it is understandable to a certain degree why a nation requires border control, the current methods have moved toward treating people as inhumanely as during the mid-20th century’s darkest regimes. This administration has arguably brought out the worst in the public rather than the better, fostering a culture of suspicion. Many question why there was less outcry during the Obama or Biden years. While both administrations oversaw deportations, with the Obama era seeing record numbers of removals, the current shift is marked by a unique atmosphere of fear, where people are targeted simply for “looking the part” or speaking a syllable of another language.
Those standing up for others are also being treated inhumanely before being taken into custody. This is exactly what happened to then 20-year-old Adrian Martinez in Pico Rivera, California, in June 2025. Martinez was on his lunch break from his job at Walmart when he witnessed an intense altercation between federal agents and a janitor at the Pico Rivera Towne Center. Recognizing that the worker could not speak for himself, Martinez began recording on his phone, a constitutionally protected right, and shouted for agents to leave the man alone. In response, agents aggressively tackled Martinez, forcing him into a vehicle. The struggle caused a severe leg contusion that required him to wear a medical brace.
Despite being a natural-born United States citizen, Martinez was held in federal custody for three days at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. Even after his mother provided his birth certificate to authorities, they refused his release, and he later described the conditions inside as “worse than animals,” witnessing people in shackles and chains. Following his release, Martinez was charged with a felony for conspiracy to interfere with a government agent and was subsequently fired from his job at Walmart. Yet, when interviewed by local news, he remained resolute, stating he would do it again to help someone in need.
This is not an isolated incident. There is a growing trend of people being detained during their own court hearings while attempting to fix their status “the right way.” Currently, reports from the American Immigration Council show a 600% increase in “at-large” community arrests, with over 73% of those in ICE detention having no criminal record. This system has even caught U.S. citizen children and elected officials in its net, with 2025 marking one of the deadliest years on record for those in custody. If this country is supposed to be “united,” why is it more divided than ever?
In a world that feels increasingly cold and unrecognizable, we have to hold onto the small things that remind us of who we are. For me, that’s a quiet morning and a drink that’s meant to bring a moment of peace. But as long as families are being shattered and citizens like Adrian are being silenced for their bravery, that peace remains out of reach for too many. We need to get back to a place where we protect the vulnerable instead of hunting them, and where our systems serve the people rather than terrorizing them. Because at the end of the day, there is only one place where a freezing, numbing presence belongs, and I’ll say it until the message finally sinks in: Ice only belongs in my matcha or other beverages on a hot summer day, not terrorizing the country.
Down below will be links that can be useful to anyone who may need it. It will be constantly updated for new resources.
https://www.immigrantsarela.com/knowyourrights
Eyes of V 
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