The mainstream media and liberal Democrats are up in arms over a recent ICE arrest—yet again ignoring the facts in favor of outrage. But as with so many of these cases, this removal was fully justified and rooted in a long-standing legal order.
Kasper Juul Eriksen, a Danish national living in Mississippi, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during what was supposed to be his final naturalization interview in April 2025.
The arrest was based on a missed paperwork deadline from 2015—specifically, Eriksen failed to file Form I-751, the “Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.” That failure led to a final order of removal issued in 2019.
The media places great importance on the family’s claim that they were unaware of the removal order.
That may or may not be true—but even if it is, the law does not require knowledge of a removal order for it to be valid. The order stands, and ICE was simply doing its job by enforcing it.
The media seems to think it’s very important that the family claims they were unaware of the “petition to remove.” That claim may be false, but even if it’s true, the order remains legally enforceable. Whether Eriksen knew about it or not is irrelevant. The media keeps repeating that he is a father, his wife is pregnant, and that he has “deep community ties”, none of which has any bearing on the case. ICE carried out a lawful civil immigration arrest.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), ICE has full authority to arrest individuals who are subject to a final order of removal.
Outlets are using emotionally charged language like, “Despite having no criminal record and being a long-term resident contributing to his community, Eriksen was taken into custody and transported to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Jena, Louisiana.”
But having no criminal record is irrelevant. Eriksen violated the terms of his residency by failing to file the required paperwork and then failed to appear at his immigration hearing on April 2, 2019.
As a result, an immigration judge issued a final order of removal. ICE, as the official enforcement arm, simply executed that lawful order.
There was no error, no overreach, no “Gestapo tactics,” and no “Nazism.” Eriksen broke immigration law and was arrested—end of story.
The media keep saying that ICE “shackled” Eriksen. In reality, it is standard procedure for anyone being arrested to be placed in handcuffs.
There is significant evidence that some individuals resist arrest or attempt to flee, so handcuffs are used for officer safety, not as a punishment, but as protocol.
The next liberal complaint is that Eriksen was locked in a “gulag.” No, there are no gulags. He was detained in an ICE processing center, which is exactly what happens when someone is arrested by ICE.
According to media reports, the facility has been criticized for being in a remote location and for alleged substandard conditions. But “remote location” is a strange complaint.
Should the center be in the middle of town? There’s no law requiring ICE detention centers to be centrally located. Land is cheaper outside urban areas, and these are large federal facilities that don’t need to be inside city limits like a local jail might.
As for the “substandard” conditions, the facility is located in Louisiana, a relatively poor state. But whether the facility is luxurious or not is irrelevant to the legality of the arrest. If liberals want better detention centers, I’m sure most Republicans would support funding them, especially if the money comes from cutting off benefits for illegal aliens.
As usual in deportation cases, the media go on to explain how the father breaking the law has put a strain on the family, cue the emotional appeal: “Just think of the children…” And I agree with that sentiment. Parents should think of their children before breaking the law.
Coverage has portrayed Eriksen’s arrest as an overreach by ICE, but when you follow up on most of the recent high-profile cases that triggered media outrage, the facts show that the arrests and deportations were justified, legal, and carried out in full accordance with U.S. immigration law.
So far, the only identifiable error was in the case of Kilmar Abrego García, who should have been deported to Sudan or another country willing to accept U.S. deportees, instead of El Salvador. That mistake has since been corrected, and he is now back in his country of citizenship.
Despite repeated media claims, no U.S. citizens have been deported. As for the highly publicized ICE raid that supposedly “terrorized” a family, that operation was also justified, the house in question was tied to a cartel based in Guatemala, and the individuals inside were linked to trafficking.
Abrego García was deported because his confirmed membership in MS-13 invalidated his U.S. residency. These were not overreaches, they were lawful enforcement actions grounded in public safety and immigration law.
One of the most dishonest portrayals was the case of Ximena Arias-Cristobal. The media claimed she was deported simply for failing to signal, but the reality is quite different.
She was pulled over for a traffic violation, found to be driving without a license, and arrested. In that jurisdiction, standard arrest procedures include checking immigration status—and that’s when it was discovered that she was in the country illegally. That, not the traffic stop, was the real reason for her deportation.
The left is also celebrating public officials and judges who actively impede lawful ICE operations. This sets a dangerous precedent, suggesting that government employees are only obligated to enforce the laws they personally agree with.
That is not how a constitutional republic is meant to operate. Existing laws represent the will of the people, and enforcing those laws is, by definition, the enforcement of the people’s will.
If liberals don’t like the laws being enforced, they should work to change them through the democratic process. But as long as those laws remain on the books, it is not “Nazism” to enforce them, it is simply law and order.
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