The Culture of Cruelty -- Documented Federal Agent Conduct in Immigration Enforcement¶

Published by: Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project
Type: Pattern Analysis
Confidence: HIGH
Date: February 11, 2026
Sources: 50+ independent sources including court records, video evidence, sworn declarations, OIG/GAO reports, and Congressional investigations

Executive Summary¶

This report documents a systemic pattern of cruelty, dehumanization, psychological warfare, and institutional violence by federal immigration enforcement agents -- primarily Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership that directs them.

This is not a collection of isolated incidents. The evidence demonstrates an institutional culture where:

Violence is rewarded, not punished. Officers who employ aggressive tactics are promoted. Officers who smash car windows get senior positions. Agents who kill civilians are defended as heroes.
Victims are dehumanized by design. Official DHS communications refer to people as "illegal aliens," label shooting victims as "domestic terrorists" before any investigation, and characterize documented injuries as "Oscar-level performances."
Psychological intimidation is deliberate. Agents wear Halloween masks during raids, display skull patches and Norse imagery, operate in unmarked vehicles while masked, and visit protesters' homes to say "we know where you live."
Official narratives are fabricated. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin has been documented issuing false statements across multiple incidents, creating cover stories that are subsequently contradicted by video evidence, medical records, and court findings.
Oversight is actively obstructed. Body camera footage is withheld, agent identities are concealed, medical records are hidden, state investigators are blocked, and Congressional oversight is restricted.

The pattern spans the period from January 2025 through February 2026, intensifying dramatically with the launch of operations like "Metro Surge" and "Midway Blitz" in late 2025. The conduct documented here reflects what a federal judge called a DHS culture that "celebrate[s] violent responses over fair and diplomatic ones."

Documented Incidents (Chronological)¶

2019: The Secret Facebook Group¶

ProPublica exposed a secret Facebook group called "I'm 10-15" (Border Patrol code for "aliens in custody") with approximately 9,500 current and former agents. It contained jokes about migrant deaths ("At least it's already in a trash bag" -- about a drowning child), sexually manipulated images of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and racist insults. The group's highest-ranking member was the chief of the Border Patrol.

CBP investigated 138 employees. Result: 4 fired, 38 suspended. Sociologist Daniel Martinez: "a pervasive culture of cruelty aimed at immigrants within CBP. This isn't just a few rogue agents or 'bad apples.'"

Sources: ProPublica (3 articles), Democracy Now, Newsweek

Late 2025: Nearly 50 Window-Smashing Incidents¶

ProPublica documented nearly 50 incidents of immigration officers shattering car windows to make arrests -- up from just 8 instances in the previous decade. No known policy change authorized this tactic. Injuries include head wounds, broken bones, and glass embedded in skin. Incidents occurred with children and pregnant women inside vehicles. Officers who smash windows have been promoted, not disciplined.

Sources: ProPublica, Reason, Boston Globe

November 14, 2025: K-9 Mauling in Vancouver, WA¶

An ICE agent lured Wilmer Toledo-Martinez out of his home by posing as a construction worker who claimed to have hit his car. A Border Patrol K-9 was released on him. His wife's video captured an agent threatening: "Back up or he'll be bit again." His children (ages 2, 3, and 7) were screaming. DHS spokesperson described injuries as "minor." Senator Patty Murray confirmed he has no criminal convictions.

Sources: CNN, KGW, Senator Murray's office, The Columbian

October 20-28, 2025: Halloween Masks During Raids¶

Federal immigration agents wore Chucky, Momo, and Mr. Potato Head masks while departing Terminal Island in Los Angeles for immigration raids. A community monitor reported: "They slowed down, rolled down the window and stared directly into my camera wearing a Chucky mask... It just reaffirmed that they really have fun doing this type of work, terrorizing our communities."

When asked for comment, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded: "Happy Halloween!"

Former Acting ICE Chief of Staff Deborah Fleischaker called it unprecedented, stating it "works to erode trust and to further inflame the tensions." LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell: "It's not a good public policy decision."

Sources: LA Taco, NBC News, KTLA, The Hill, SFGate

December 4, 2025: Vehicle Driven Over Handcuffed Man¶

ICE agents in Vancouver, WA, smashed Jose Paniagua Calderon's car window, dragged him out, and drove a Ford SUV over his right foot/leg while he lay handcuffed and screaming. He was denied medical care at the scene.

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin: "Never happened. ICE did NOT run over this illegal alien's leg. Pure theatre." She called his screaming an "Oscar-level performance" and claimed X-rays showed "ZERO fractures" -- then refused to release those X-rays to anyone.

Paniagua Calderon was subsequently transferred across four states. An immigration judge granted bond, but ICE blocked his release. He remains detained as of February 2026 with ongoing symptoms.

Sources: OPB, The Columbian, KATU, KGW, KOIN, Newsweek, ProPublica (15+ sources)

December 4, 2025: "Operation Metro Surge" Launched¶

DHS deployed over 3,000 armed and masked federal agents to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the "largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out." Framed as a response to alleged Somali daycare fraud, of approximately 3,000 people arrested, only 23 were from Somalia, and none had ties to the fraud investigations.

Schools locked down. Businesses reported 50-80% revenue decreases. The operation produced two killings of U.S. citizens, one near-fatal beating, mass arrests of protesters, and a federal judge finding 96 court order violations in a single month.

Sources: Wikipedia, Britannica, AG Ellison lawsuit, Amnesty International

January 7, 2026: Renee Good Killed in Minneapolis¶

Renee Good, 37, a U.S. citizen, mother of three, poet, and substitute teacher, was shot and killed by ICE Officer Jonathan Ross. She had just dropped her 6-year-old son at school. Her last words to Ross: "That's fine dude. I'm not mad at you." Ross fired three shots as her vehicle turned away from him.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called Good a "domestic terrorist" who had "weaponized her vehicle." The House Oversight Committee found these claims "clearly false." Ross's own cell phone video showed a peaceful encounter. Twelve federal prosecutors resigned in protest.

Sources: 42+ independent sources (CNN, NBC, ABC, NPR, WaPo, NYT, House Oversight Committee)

January 8, 2026: Alberto Castaneda Mondragon Beaten Nearly to Death¶

Four masked ICE agents beat Castaneda Mondragon with an ASP steel baton during arrest and again at the Ft. Snelling detention facility, where officers "laughed at me and hit me again." He sustained at least 8 skull fractures (front, back, and both sides) and 5 brain hemorrhages.

ICE told hospital staff he "purposefully ran headfirst into a brick wall." One officer told nurses he "got his shit rocked."

Six medical professionals independently rejected the wall story. Forensic pathologist Dr. Lindsey Thomas: "I am pretty sure a person could not get these kinds of extensive injuries from running into a wall."

DHS later revised the story twice, changing "brick wall" to "concrete wall" and "ran headfirst" to "fell and hit his head." Head strikes with an ASP baton are classified as deadly force under law enforcement policies nationwide.

A federal judge ruled his arrest was unlawful and ordered his immediate release. He had zero criminal record.

Sources: AP (major 4-reporter investigation), Sahan Journal, Common Dreams, federal court records (15+ sources)

January 24, 2026: Alex Pretti Killed in Minneapolis¶

Alex Pretti, 37, a VA ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was filming federal agents and protecting a woman who had been pushed. Agents pepper-sprayed him, tackled him, and shot him approximately 10 times in under 5 seconds while pinned by multiple officers. Video analysis shows an agent removed his legally carried handgun from his waistband before the first shot.

DHS Secretary Noem and Commander Bovino called Pretti a "domestic terrorist." The government's own internal review contradicted every major administration claim. Bovino was demoted. Video evidence analyzed by Bellingcat, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NYT showed Pretti holding a cellphone, not a weapon.

Sources: 40+ independent sources (Bellingcat, ProPublica, AP, CNN, ABC, CBS, NYT, federal court records)

January 31 - February 1, 2026: Chemical Weapons Against Protesters in Portland¶

Federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades against approximately 3,000 peaceful protesters at a permitted, family-friendly labor rally at the Portland ICE facility. The crowd included a 5-year-old girl, an 83-year-old Vietnam veteran, families with elementary-school children, and pets. No warnings were issued.

Portland Police made zero arrests and deployed zero crowd control munitions. A projectile shattered an apartment window, exposing a Yemeni mother and daughter to chemical agents inside their home. Children in a nearby low-income housing complex were conditioned to sleep in closets.

Judge Michael Simon: "Our nation is now at a crossroads" and "the culture of the agency and its employees is to celebrate violent responses over fair and diplomatic ones."

Sources: 45+ independent sources (court records, sworn declarations, OPB, CNN, Washington Post, ACLU)

February 2026: "We Know Where You Live"¶

The Marshall Project documented ICE agents retaliating against protesters and observers:

Agents showed up at a toy store for an "employee records audit" hours after the co-owner criticized the government on television
Agents called protesters by name and led them back to their own homes
An observer followed an ICE vehicle; agents ran her plates and drove straight to her address

Yale fellow and former police officer Kalfani Ture: "Repression doesn't always operate in the dramatic."

Sources: The Marshall Project, ACLU of Minnesota

Language as Weapon¶

The dehumanization of victims is a deliberate communicative strategy from DHS leadership.

"Domestic Terrorist"¶

Applied to:
1. Renee Good -- a mother and poet. Last words: "I'm not mad at you."
2. Alex Pretti -- a VA ICU nurse filming police.
3. Kyle Wagner -- a Minneapolis activist arrested for social media posts.

The label pre-emptively justifies killing and forecloses public sympathy.

"Illegal Alien"¶

Used consistently instead of "undocumented immigrant" or the statutory term "removable alien." Strips the person of humanity -- reducing a human being with a family, a job, and a community to a legal status and a xenophobic slur.

"Worst of the Worst"¶

DHS claims its operations target the "worst of the worst." The data:
- Only 5% of Minneapolis arrestees had records of violent crimes
- Paniagua Calderon's only offense: a $78 fishing infraction
- Castaneda Mondragon: zero criminal record, entered on a legal work visa
- Over 170 U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents (ProPublica)

Militarized Operation Names¶

Operation Metro Surge (Minneapolis)
Operation Midway Blitz (Chicago) -- "Midway" references a 1942 Pacific battle; "Blitz" invokes "blitzkrieg"
Operation Catahoula Crunch (New Orleans)

Military naming frames civilian immigration enforcement as warfare, positioning communities as enemy combatants.

Psychological Warfare¶

Halloween Masks¶

Agents chose to wear Chucky, Momo, and Mr. Potato Head masks during immigration raids. These masks serve zero operational purpose. They are designed to terrify. DHS's "Happy Halloween!" response confirms institutional endorsement.

Masked, Unmarked, Unidentified¶

Federal agents routinely wear balaclavas, operate in plainclothes without identification, use unmarked vehicles, and refuse to identify themselves. This has enabled a wave of criminal impersonation -- kidnappings, robberies, and sexual assaults by people posing as ICE agents. The FBI urged agents to clearly identify themselves. DHS responded: "To be clear, we will not comply."

Skull Patches and Norse Imagery¶

An ICE agent in Minneapolis was photographed wearing a patch depicting a bearded Viking skull over a Nordic wayfinder. Experts noted the symbology "looks very similar to what I would expect to see from someone who is affiliated with a racist, neo-pagan extremist group." The broader pattern of Punisher skull patches connects to the "totenkopf" worn by the Nazi SS.

Militarized Presence for Civil Enforcement¶

For immigration enforcement -- a civil administrative matter -- DHS deployed 3,000+ armed agents with assault rifles, body armor, armored vehicles, chemical weapons, and K-9 units. Green Beret veteran Anthony Aguilar identified this as the "imperial boomerang" -- tactics developed for military use abroad deployed domestically.

Official Dismissal of Violence¶

Every documented case follows the same cycle:

Incident	DHS Response	Reality
Vehicle on handcuffed man's foot	"Oscar-level performance"	Multiple videos confirm; VPD analysis supports claim
Horror masks during raids	"Happy Halloween!"	Photos document masks; experts condemn
8 skull fractures from beating	"Ran headfirst into a brick wall"	Forensic pathologist: impossible; 6 medical staff reject
Mother killed; last words "I'm not mad at you"	"Domestic terrorist"	House Oversight: "clearly false"
Nurse killed while filming with cellphone	"Domestic terrorist" with handgun	Video: agent removed gun; government's own review contradicts
K-9 mauling in front of children	"Minor injuries"	Gashes requiring stitches, respiratory difficulty
Chemical weapons on families	"Violent rioters stormed facility"	3,000 peaceful protesters; Portland Police made 0 arrests

The pattern: Deny. Dehumanize. Withhold evidence. Revise the story when caught. Never apologize. Never hold anyone accountable.

The Disinformation Machine: Tricia McLaughlin¶

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin has been documented issuing false or misleading statements across multiple incidents:

Called documented injuries "Oscar-level performance" while refusing to release allegedly exculpatory X-rays
Responded "Happy Halloween!" to reports of agents wearing horror masks
Falsely claimed a viral arrest was "a burglary arrest Chicago Police made over a year ago" (debunked by CBS and Chicago PD)
Falsely denied DHS targets U.S. citizens (ProPublica documented 170+ citizens detained)
Falsely smeared a detained mother as "a wanted killer"
Denied a detainee was ever in custody despite witnesses
Posted videos claiming operations in one city that were actually filmed in others

Former DHS spokesperson David Lapan: "What Tricia McLaughlin is doing at Homeland Security is unlike anything I've ever seen in my government service."

Sources: Zeteo, FAIR, Columbia Journalism Review, Senate Judiciary Committee

Historical Context¶

The current pattern is the latest escalation of documented problems spanning two decades.

GAO-18-405 (2018): From 2014-2016, CBP and ICE opened nearly 70,000 employee misconduct cases. More than half resulted in no action. Less than 50% of ICE investigations had supervisory review.
CBP arrest rate: Over 20 years, at least 4,913 CBP officers have been arrested. CBP's misconduct rate is 5x higher than other federal law enforcement agencies.
Human Rights Watch (2021): Internal DHS reports documented 160+ cases of misconduct including assault, sexual abuse, and denial of medical care. Former asylum officers said they have "little expectation DHS will act."
ACLU: Characterized the situation as "a culture of cruelty and impunity" pervading the Border Patrol. An agent's lawyer defended racist remarks by claiming they were "commonplace" and "part of the agency's culture."
Senator Ossoff (2025-2026): Identified 1,037 credible reports of human rights abuses including 206 reports of medical neglect, 44 of family separation, 26 of mistreatment of pregnant women, and 40 of mistreatment of children.
Detention deaths: 32 in 2025 (record since 2004). 6 more in first three weeks of 2026. December 2025 was the deadliest month on record.

Pattern Analysis¶

Escalation Arc¶

Phase	Tactics	Period
Normalization	Masks, unmarked vehicles, refusal to identify	Summer 2025
Aggressive Enforcement	Window smashing, K-9 attacks, deceptive operations	Fall 2025
Militarized Operations	3,000+ agents, military naming, tactical gear	Dec 2025
Lethal Force	Two U.S. citizens killed, one beaten nearly to death	Jan 2026
Chemical Weapons	Tear gas against families, children, elderly	Jan-Feb 2026
Retaliation	Home visits, audits, arrests of protesters	Feb 2026

Common Elements¶

Every documented incident shares these features:

Disproportionate force for civil immigration enforcement
Victim dehumanization through language and labeling
Evidence obstruction -- body cameras, medical records, and agent identities withheld
Fabricated narratives contradicted by video, medical, or court evidence
Zero accountability -- no agents disciplined for violence; some promoted
Retaliation against those who document or protest
Institutional endorsement from DHS leadership

The Accountability Vacuum¶

30+ shootings by immigration agents since January 20, 2025
At least 8 killed in shootings
32 deaths in ICE custody in 2025 (record since 2004)
96 court order violations by ICE in January 2026 alone (Judge Schiltz)
0 agents charged for any killing or beating
4,913 CBP officers arrested over 20 years; misconduct rate 5x other agencies
1,037 credible abuse reports in 11 months (Senator Ossoff)

The accountability flows in one direction: against those who seek it. Prosecutors who investigate are forced to resign. Medical staff who contradict the cover story face internal investigation. Protesters who document violence are arrested, surveilled, and threatened.

Sources¶

LA Taco -- "We Asked DHS if Federal Agents Wore Horror Masks on Raids" -- https://lataco.com/federal-immigration-agents-halloween-masks
NBC News -- "DHS responds to immigration agents wearing horror masks" -- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/happy-halloween-dhs-spokeswoman-responds-report-immigration-agents-wea-rcna241105
KTLA -- "DHS responds to agents wearing horror masks in L.A. County" -- https://ktla.com/news/local-news/happy-halloween-dhs-responds-to-federal-agents-wearing-horror-toy-masks-in-l-a-county/
The Hill -- "Federal agents allegedly seen wearing horror masks" -- https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5585508-halloween-masks-dhs-agents/
SFGate -- "Federal immigration agents found patrolling LA in horror masks" -- https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/la-federal-immigration-agents-halloween-masks-21131816.php
Star Tribune -- "ICE agent's Norse patch sparks questions over ideology" -- https://www.startribune.com/in-federal-lake-street-operation-ice-agents-norse-tattoo-sparks-questions-over-ideology/601367018
The Intercept -- "These Patches Are Clues to Identifying Immigration Agents" -- https://theintercept.com/2026/01/28/ice-cbp-patches-guide-to-identifying-immigration-agents/
WBEZ -- "Masked immigration agents erode trust and intimidate" -- https://www.wbez.org/immigration/2025/10/24/masked-agents-border-patrol-immigration-enforcement-dea-atf-trump-deportation
Center for American Progress -- "Masked and Unidentifiable" -- https://www.americanprogress.org/article/masked-and-unidentifiable-the-risks-of-federal-law-enforcement-operating-without-identification/
The Marshall Project -- "'We Know Where You Live'" -- https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/04/ice-immigration-intimidation-tactics-protesters
ProPublica -- "Immigration Officers Smash Car Windows to Speed Up Arrests" -- https://projects.propublica.org/trump-ice-smashed-windows-deportation-arrests/
ProPublica -- "More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Held by Immigration Agents" -- https://www.propublica.org/article/immigration-dhs-american-citizens-arrested-detained-against-will
ProPublica -- "Inside the Secret Border Patrol Facebook Group" -- https://www.propublica.org/article/secret-border-patrol-facebook-group-agents-joke-about-migrant-deaths-post-sexist-memes
ProPublica -- "After a Year of Investigation, the Border Patrol Has Little to Say" -- https://www.propublica.org/article/after-a-year-of-investigation-the-border-patrol-has-little-to-say-about-agents-misogynistic-and-racist-facebook-group
Zeteo -- "Tricia McLaughlin: 7 Big Lies" -- https://zeteo.com/p/tricia-mclaughlin-trump-ice-dhs-lies
FAIR -- "Why Treat DHS's Known Liars as Reliable Sources?" -- https://fair.org/home/why-treat-dhss-known-liars-as-reliable-sources/
Columbia Journalism Review -- "How Tricia McLaughlin defends Trump's anti-immigrant agenda" -- https://www.cjr.org/feature/tricia-mclaughlin-trump-deportation-machine-voice-dhs-ice-lies-spin-propaganda-provocative-talk.php
Senate Judiciary Committee -- "Debunking the DHS Misinformation Campaign" -- https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/dem/releases/durbin-illinois-democrats-release-fact-sheet-debunking-the-dhs-misinformation-campaign
Human Rights Watch -- "'They Treat You Like You Are Worthless'" -- https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/10/21/they-treat-you-you-are-worthless/internal-dhs-reports-abuses-us-border-officials
GAO-18-405 -- "Components Could Improve Monitoring of Employee Misconduct" -- https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-18-405
WOLA -- "Fixing a Culture that Protects and Rewards Abuse" -- https://www.wola.org/analysis/fixing-a-culture-protects-rewards-abuse-us-border-agencies/
Senator Ossoff -- "U.S. Immigration Detention Oversight" -- https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/260114_Report_Patterns_v5.pdf
The Appeal -- "Deaths in Detention" -- https://theappeal.org/ice-deaths-detention-record-high/
American Immigration Council -- "Trump Administration Deadlier for ICE Detainees Than COVID-19" -- https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/trump-deadlier-for-ice-detainees-than-covid-19-pandemic/
Al Jazeera -- "US witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026" -- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/27/us-witnessed-many-ice-related-deaths-in-2026-here-are-their-stories
Wikipedia -- "Operation Metro Surge" -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Metro_Surge
Amnesty International -- "USA: Stop Militarized Immigration Enforcement" -- https://amnesty.ca/urgent-actions/usa-stop-militarized-immigration-enforcement/
American Prospect -- "A Running Count of How Many People ICE Has Killed" -- https://prospect.org/2026/01/29/ice-trump-killed-injured-list-dhs-cbp-border-patrol-renee-good-alex-pretti/
Stateline -- "Footage, documents at odds with DHS accounts" -- https://stateline.org/2026/01/23/footage-documents-at-odds-with-dhs-accounts-of-immigration-enforcement-incidents/
Brookings -- "ICE expansion has outpaced accountability" -- https://www.brookings.edu/articles/ice-expansion-has-outpaced-accountability-what-are-the-remedies/
AP -- "Immigrant whose skull was broken in 8 places" -- https://www.npr.org/2026/02/07/g-s1-109219/immigrant-ice-arrest-beating
CNN -- "Senator calls for release of man after dog attack" -- https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/10/us/toledo-martinez-dog-attack-immigrant
OPB -- "ICE agents under scrutiny after man's legs allegedly crushed" -- https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/06/vancouver-ice-alleged-crushing-legs/
OPB -- "Federal officers use crowd control munitions" -- https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/31/labor-against-ice-portland-oregon-immigration-protest/
Dickinson v. Trump -- TRO (22 pages) -- U.S. District Court, Oregon, February 3, 2026

Methodology¶

This pattern analysis was compiled using Bellingcat-standard OSINT methodology: systematic collection from public sources, three-source verification for all major claims, cross-platform verification across ideologically diverse outlets, and explicit confidence labeling. Court records and sworn declarations were weighted as primary evidence. DHS claims were flagged where contradicted by independent evidence.

All sources are publicly available. No private data accessed.

Published: February 11, 2026
Mortui Vivos Docent Intelligence Project