By Adam B. Coleman, Op-ed contributor Friday, January 09, 2026Getty Images/David Dee Delgado
The commentary around the ICE shooting reminds me of 2020 when I posted on my Facebook account a bunch of statistics surrounding black Americans post-George Floyd.
A black woman told me, “I hope you have that same energy when you get shot by a cop.”
My first thought was, that’s not likely because I’m not a criminal. I’m not breaking laws on a regular basis nor am I consuming illegal substances like drugs.
I don’t place myself in situations where cops are called and I sure as hell don’t involve myself in official police business.
The reason the commentary reminds me of this dialogue is because people are pretending that this shooting is a likely outcome for any American. But it isn’t.
It’s incredibly far-fetched to act as if these men are walking around looking to shoot some rando driving a car. But it becomes believable if your entire concept of ICE is that everything they’re doing is at random.
What has bothered me is that even normies think ICE is going door-to-door looking for people who “appear” illegal.
They’ve consumed media that has convinced them that there are these immigration cowboys running around the country ready to terrorize your neighborhood.
They have no clue about how ICE operates, and what their primary objectives are. Even more so, most people live a life of comfort and never see the underbelly of what ICE and other law enforcement officials see.
ICE is at the forefront of stopping human trafficking, including children being trafficked. The men and women they are deporting range from being criminals in their homeland to criminals domestically.
Nothing about their activities is random; they are highly targeted apprehensions. They are a limited enforcement arm and it would be objectively stupid and unproductive to operate “randomly.”
They know where to find specific people because many have already been to immigration court and have deportation orders. They have their addresses and know who they associate with. Some have committed crimes here and so they have this information already.
But when you understand that these men and women aren’t running around like headless chickens searching for brown people to deport, and that they’re highly trained officers, it makes more sense as to why you shouldn’t fear being wrongfully deported or shot by them.
If you were attempting to impede any investigation or apprehension of any law enforcement arm, you’d be entering a dangerous territory that could lead to your arrest. Or in simple terms, don’t mess around with people who have guns and authority.
So to the woman who said for me to have the same energy, I won’t need to because I don’t play foolish games with people with guns and authority. I also don’t attract attention by doing illegal things.
Overwhelmingly, criminals are the ones who get shot by cops and criminals are the ones who shoot at cops as well. Likewise, none of you should be concerned about being deported unless you aren’t here legally.
You shouldn’t be concerned about being shot by ICE unless you are provoking a response from them by interfering with their work.
When you live in their reality of today may be your last day, you don’t play around with unruly people. Giving the benefit of the doubt to people can get you killed in a uniform.
This is why ICE officers wear armor and masks. They face death threats and attempts on a consistent basis now that their jobs have been politicized.
So, any person who is telling you to live with fear of an unlikely outcome, know they are attempting to manipulate you for some form of gain.
There is a lot of that happening today; stay vigilant and protect your soul.
Originally published at Speaking Wrong at the Right Time.
Adam B. Coleman is an author, contributor to The New York Post, Founder of Wrong Speak Publishing and writer for his Substack “Speaking Wrong At The Right Time”.
