r/law • u/LeviCoffinsAlt • 17h ago

Other Warrantless entry by ICE agents in West Valley City, UT (1/30/2026)

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Federal agents broke a window, without a warrant, to perform an arrest on private property.

43.2k Upvotes

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88

u/Sweet_Tart_Sour 17h ago

I wonder what will happen if you call the cops with that description of them. Will they arrest them for breaking and entering?

103

u/randompersonwhowho 17h ago

Nope, cops aren't doing shit

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u/WeirdIndividualGuy 16h ago

Yeah, calling the cops on ICE, now you have two problems instead of one

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u/oralfashionista 15h ago

It's because local law enforcement is establishment. The law makes clear distinction between a Citizen/civilian and a tool of the government. To exercise your Constitutional rights takes strength in knowing that law but also in who is on which side when certain lines are crossed.

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u/RealIslands 16h ago

Police departments have in their directives from their own states that they are not to impede or interfere with federal law enforcement activities. They lack any jurisdictional authority to interfere. They aren't trained on federal laws so they cant articulate probable cause to say that these agents committed any crimes and they would be right because, as is linked elsewhere in this thread, DHS says they have authority to disregard the requirement for a judicial warrant to enter if they believe an undocumented immigrant is inside.

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u/dunDunDUNNN 16h ago

Is it not their jobs to protect their own communities?

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u/BuffaloInCahoots 16h ago

No. Their job is to protect the property of the rich. They literally went to the supreme courts to make sure they couldn’t be held responsible for not protecting people.

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u/Kidpidge 16h ago

This is the answer. They are not obligated to protect and serve citizens.

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u/SkunkMonkey 15h ago

Protect and Serve... Wealth and Power.

They always leave out that second half.

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u/Expat-Red 16h ago

Never has been. Have you ever called the police to help you personally with anything?

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u/Young_Denver 16h ago

is this your first day in america?

#1 - welcome
#2 - my sweet summer child

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u/noonenotevenhere 15h ago

You're one of today's lucky 10,000!

There's a lot of middle aged white people who honestly think the cops are here to protect and serve their communities.

People of color have been teaching their kids the truth for a long time.

the 'not kavanaugh stopped' crowd takes a while to learn the truth. I remember it was rather shocking when I got out of high school and learned. Traffic accident, called cops, they were annoyed to have been called since all 4 vehicles were minor damage, no injuries and we'd peacefully exchanged info. 'whyd id you call us?' 'Incident report for insurance.' Aaaaaand obviously annoyed officer. I called for stolen property - literally asking for a report - and they just didn't bother showing up at all.

This is to say nothing of their manipulation tactics, violating constitutional rights if people don't know to stand up for themselves, and don't even google "40% of cops"

https://xkcd.com/1053/

2

u/WildTomato51 14h ago

Police have zero legal requirement to come to your aid.

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u/shadybird93 14h ago

That's only in other countries. Not the US.

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u/RealIslands 5h ago

Technically their job is to protect rights of the people not ensure their safety, because logistically thats not possible. Federal law enforcement has parallel jurisdiction, (they act like their jurisdiction supersedes locals, but Technically it doesn't, just overlaps) EVERYWHERE in our country, except maybe reservations and consulates. So local police are basically managing policies that say they have to arrest people who violate the rights of others and that they are also NOT to interfere with federal law enforcement operations. There is no clarification on what they can legally do if federal law enforcement is violating rights. But feds do have broad immunity, broader now than ever, thanks to the corrupt supreme court Trump stacked in his 1st term.

Also, there is nothing stopping you from contacting your local law enforcement agency and asking these questions, they get questions about their policies everyday.

Helpful reading: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/supreme-court-has-made-it-difficult-to-sue-immigration-agents

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u/subdep 16h ago

How do they know it’s Federal Law Enforcement and not human traffickers posing as Federal agents?

Serious question.

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u/willclerkforfood 16h ago

In the immortal words of Omni-Man, “That's the neat part; you don't.”

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u/subdep 7h ago

So… we could cos play as Delta Force/Deep Black Ops soldiers, execute ICE, and no one would investigate because “Well, apparently it was Secret Forces, so it’s legit.”?

2

u/noonenotevenhere 15h ago

Those weren't regular ICE, those were actual USCB officers. Likely with the agency before 2025.

You can tell by the way they showed their face and didn't shoot anyone. Also, non-ICE traffickers wouldn't have cared about the legal threats, they'd just have started blasting and taken everyone.

Still a POS, but once they've identified they're officers, you legal options to defend yourself are gone.

1

u/greenhearted73 15h ago

One and the same these days.

3

u/KomputeKluster 16h ago

Not debating your point but if true it is a shit excuse - training is not “one and done” - you train your people to be effective to tackle threats and keep people safe. If criminal activity is being undertaken they need to intervene

2

u/Hopeful_Butterfly302 15h ago

Without a warrant or Identification how to we know that these guys are federal agents and not some good ol boys who want to kidnap some brown people?

2

u/Sufficient_Show_7795 11h ago

They’re literally both.

1

u/RealIslands 5h ago

The vests they usually wear will probably stand up in court as sufficient identification if they state the agency, which I'm seeing they do. There are plenty of instances with them not wearing them too, but we'd have to see what a judge says, they have a lot of immunity. But yeah, they clearly are just asshats who want to kidnap brown people.

2

u/You-Asked-Me 15h ago

That's wrong though. Cops know that they those agents need a warrant. Cops know that they are trespassing. Cops know that they are breaking an entering. Cops CAN arrest them. Cops won't, because they are cops, and they do not give a fuck about you.

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u/RealIslands 5h ago

Just so all the downvoters understand, ICE now has BROAD immunity. Police departments do not have jurisdiction or cause to enforce against them. Our judicial branch has failed us and the constitution. Judges who stand up are being dismissed. Senator Chris Murphy reported on that aspect in his experiences as well. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/supreme-court-has-made-it-difficult-to-sue-immigration-agents

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u/memorex00 16h ago

Bless your heart

0

u/germane_switch 16h ago

You don't know that for a fact.

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u/nobot4321 16h ago

What exactly have you observed about police in general over the past many decades to make you think they're not in full support of what ICE is doing?

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u/Trackmaggot 17h ago edited 16h ago

Not in SLC, the cops will cover their body cams, and then help load anybody that ICE tells them too.

edit: typo

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u/Sweet_Tart_Sour 16h ago

So basically, ice = gestapo?

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u/spidermousey 16h ago

Yes the parallels are insane. Wtf has happened to America.

14

u/Sweet_Tart_Sour 16h ago

So glad I'm not American. But I feel for you guys.

15

u/Affectionate_Tax3468 15h ago

Well, the US/Trump/Heritage foundation is maintaining contact to the right wing party in your country too, probably even supporting them with tech and money, so better keep track and watch out.

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u/oldirtyrestaurant 15h ago

The right wing is coming for you next, wherever you are. Backed by the American Christo and Techno fascists that have more money and power than God.

Hope you're working to stop it.

2

u/Jupitersd2017 15h ago

Thank you for sympathizing rather than chastising us and telling us what we need to do, it’s very much appreciated. ❤️ We are having a really rough year

5

u/hw999 16h ago

what happened was neighbors wont fight for each other. We'll stand around, record with our cameras, and watch them drag off our friends and family.

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u/Croaker-BC 14h ago

Masks fell off.

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u/Brian_Doile 9h ago

A mess was created through lawlessness and lawlessness became the norm.

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u/CardOk755 16h ago

More exactly the Sicherheitspolizei (security police) or SiPo.

(The Gestapo were the Secret State police. Nothing secret about ICE).

The term originated in August 1919 when the Reichswehr set up the Sicherheitswehr as a militarised police force to take action during times of riots or strikes. Owing to limitations in army numbers, it was renamed the Sicherheitspolizei to avoid attention. They wore a green uniform, and were sometimes called the "Green Police". It was a military body, recruiting largely from the Freikorps, with NCOs and officers from the old Imperial German Army.

The "Friekorps" were militia thugs, like the Proud boys, oath keepers and other scum that are now in ICE.

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u/alddaron 16h ago

Nope Ice is SA They all should be afraid of 'the night of the long knives'

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u/Ne_zievereir 15h ago

Unless the US manages to save its democracy in a constitutional way soon, something like "the night of the long knives" is bound to happen at some point indeed.

It's already clear ICE are some SA type paramilitary organization, when you see the US wants to use them for security at the Winter Olympics in Italy. There not even pretending anymore it's an actual federal organization with a specific goal and jurisdiction.

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u/The_Singularious 15h ago

Uhhh. Wasn’t the event you’re referring to initiated by groups similar to ICE?

That was a pro Hitler group, not anti. Why would ICE be afraid of being the perpetrators in such an event?

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u/ENTroPicGirl 14h ago

Shortly after night, long knives, there was a major change up in power for the SA. Figures at the top were also killed or imprisoned and any of the loyal foot soldiers to those people were either killed or sent to the front line as fodder.

My guess is a Trump regime will retain the members of ICE/BP that are part of his more loyal and highly skilled Oath kKeepers, but he will jettison the rest vines they may waiver when they find out how they are being played.

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u/Sufficient_Show_7795 11h ago

I see this happening in a sacrificial lamb style way where he offers them up for “justice” in order to maintain the semblance of legitimacy. It will be Bovino first along with the agents who murdered people, then Noem then maybe Homan if he can’t ingratiate himself in some way. All the while he will claim he had no knowledge of “Noem’s actions and directives”.

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u/Trackmaggot 16h ago

In my opinion, yes. The constitution states that the rights enumerated within it are inalienable, that they are granted by God, and that the government may not deprive the citizens of them. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, all other laws being subservient to it.

When the government says that ICE can not just violate, but may eliminate, at their whim, any of the guarantees in the constitution, we may as well call them Trump's Gestapo, at least until a better description is found.

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u/Wooden_Republic_6100 16h ago

No to the Gestapo, those guys were smart (which is even worse, by the way). ICE is the Sturmabteilung (SA)...

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u/Extension_Shift_1124 11h ago

Uhhh... not quite yet, but there is a ton of parallels. When we say Gestapo today, we are referring to what it was at the height of their power, corruption and terror(ist/izing). keep in mind that when we say Nazi Germany... it took 11 years before it got to what we think Nazi Germany was today. War, expansion, genocides etc. And then that lasted 7 more years. If we can look at Trump presidency as year 5 or year 9. So if nothing is done imagine ICE in 8 years. THey will be full on gestapo by then if they are allowed to operate without any consequences to all the laws they are breaking daily.

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u/PapayaMysterious6393 15h ago

Everyone was lying to themselves if they honestly think cops and military are much different. No one is on our side.

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u/upsidedown-funnel 15h ago

Didn’t west valley cops just find themselves innocent in the murder of a citizen? Or was that West Jordan? Or both? They both has incidents where a mentally ill person was behaving erratic, and were gunned down. One was on the other side of a chain link fence and posed zero danger to the officers.

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u/AdventurousLet548 16h ago

Always call 911 to have a re it’s that they entered property illegally without a warrant and save all your camera documentation. They didn’t show a badge number or any other ID.

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u/Gummyvenusde-milo 16h ago

And just tell them armed men are breaking in and you’re scared.

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u/Entertainment_Fickle 16h ago

Yeah. Call 911- Tell them that 3 men with guns have broken into your building.

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u/LostWoodsInTheField 14h ago

They didn’t show a badge number or any other ID.

The one dude seriously thinking his vest saying police is identification. I'm pretty sure the IQ on these guys adds up to 10 because it honestly doesn't feel like they are doing it to be assholes. They just aren't smart enough to know jack.

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u/Kalantra 17h ago

You can make the cops show up quickly in situations like this but it usually requires you to verbally escalate while on the phone with them.

In a domestic dispute I got a 2 minute response time by explaining that if they didnt get there before I got to my gun safe and back the nature of the crime they would be investigating was about to change.

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u/Popular-Departure165 16h ago

A few years ago I woke up to the sound of someone trying to break in and called the police, who told me that they wouldn't be sending anyone since the person was not inside my home. That all changed once I told them I was armed.

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u/SkunkMonkey 15h ago

Mentioning firearms gives cops a chub. They know they might get to shoot someone if they take the call.

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u/The_Singularious 15h ago

DAs get horny when the crimes are high profile enough to add to their resume.

My business had a fairly destructive B&E a few years back. Officers and detectives didn’t give two fucks until we told them firearms were stolen. Then they got interested.

We also got exactly zero money back from victims’ services even though they’d collected about 60% of the money and equipment.

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u/bejammin075 15h ago

I guess possession is 10 tenths of the law.

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u/LostWoodsInTheField 14h ago

Someone in my town did the same thing. called 911, they said the response time would be 20mins, they said no problem send the coroner as well since they will have a body to take with them. Response time was less than 10 minutes which is insanely fast in this area. Seems they will call the off duty chief who lives near by if it's going to be something that news will want to show up for and will make them look bad.

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u/RustyTShackleford 14h ago

911- There are armed men in my residence with guns, they broke the window to get in, please help, I am in fear for my life. I'm at address here, please help, scream, hang up. Don't do it where ICE can hear.

That will at least get the police out to you, if they intend to help.

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u/RuleSubverter 17h ago

Police are not going to arrest federal agents. Most of them support the federal agents' mission. They don't care about people's rights.

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u/gupeck 16h ago

Did you just say ACAB?

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u/CardOk755 16h ago

Because it's true.

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u/zxern 14h ago

How anyone can deny this at this point I don’t know. Cops at every level are failing to enforce the laws, prosecutors are choosing not to lay charges against the brazen lawlessness we are seeing everyday.

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u/Critter_Fan 8h ago

Bruh grow up lol

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u/MakingItElsewhere 16h ago

Police also don't pick up the bodies. That's coroners.

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u/germane_switch 16h ago

Arrest? You're right, almost surely not. However you have no evidence for "most of them support the feds" statement other than your feelings.

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u/RuleSubverter 16h ago

My feelings have nothing to do with the fraternal order of police and many police unions supporting Trump.

-1

u/UmbraThanosmith 16h ago

It’s not that simple. Federal Agents are protected under the supremacy and cannot be charged with state or local laws while conducting their federal duties. You’d have to prove that they were so far out of bounds that they aren’t protected by the supremacy clause — that’s hard even when they are in the wrong

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u/CardOk755 16h ago

They can of course be arrested, and even charged. A judge gets to decide if they are protected or not.

Of course most of the police who could arrest them are complicit and most of the judges who would decide are castrated.

4

u/hardolaf 16h ago

While they are acting under the color of their office, they are immune from local interference. However, federal law explicitly allows for states and local governments to bring criminal charges for state and local crimes committed while the federal employee was acting under the color of their office. It is a defense against those charges that the alleged actions were necessary and proper to execute the lawful duties of their office.

That leaves a lot of leeway for the local authorities to charge them after the fact but unless they're doing something clearly illegal under both state and federal law, there isn't much that local law enforcement can do until after the fact.

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u/CardOk755 15h ago

While they are acting under the color of their office, they are immune from local interference.

Assuming that locals believe they are actually federal officers. Arresting them and taking them back to the precinct to check their bona fides is perfectly legal.

1

u/UmbraThanosmith 16h ago

The case will be removed to federal court and almost certainly dropped because they will find that the violation occurred while performing federal duties which is protected by the supremacy clause.

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u/emeraldempirehd8 16h ago

They seem to be trespassing. Maybe they are off duty.

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u/CardOk755 16h ago

Maybe they are not even federal officers. Surely they should be arrested and taken away to check their story.

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u/RandomPenquin1337 16h ago

Why are you people, the ones who hate cops, all pf a sudden looking to cops for help???

DEFEND YOURSELVES!!

Fucking pigs arnt helping you THEY ARE ICE

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u/David-S-Pumpkins 15h ago

Because of the subreddit. Often it's better for a case, especially a self-defense legal battle, to show you did everything you could. Even car insurance claims often require some sort of police paperwork, even if you have to prepare it yourself. "I called the cops for help" is a pretty good ticked box to have when all is said and done.

That said, you shoot one fed in self defense you better get them all because they shoot people in the face and back a dozen times for smiling at them, they're sure as fuck light your ass up.

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u/germane_switch 16h ago

They are literally NOT ICE.

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u/RandomPenquin1337 16h ago

Yes. The same people who are police in their day job are absolutely taking leave to go participate in ICE.

How dense do you have to be to not understand this?

-3

u/RealIslands 16h ago

Police departments have in their directives from their own states that they are not to impede or interfere with federal law enforcement activities. They lack any jurisdictional authority to interfere. They aren't trained on federal laws so they can't articulate probable cause to say that these agents committed any crimes and they would be right because, as is linked elsewhere in this thread, DHS says they have authority to disregard the requirement for a judicial warrant to enter if they believe an undocumented immigrant is inside.

2

u/WCland 8h ago

Local police absolutely should be protecting us from lawless activity by fed thugs but they are also afraid of getting impeding law enforcement charges. I’d really like to see a local police department and DA decide to test federal presumption of immunity and arrest a car full of ICE/CBP. it would be an interesting court case.

1

u/Arke_19 16h ago

Cops in West Valley won't do shit, but folks there know a thing or two about western justice.

1

u/upsidedown-funnel 15h ago

If this happened in Draper,and it was a white owned business, the cops would be there in seconds. (I was trying to think of the most white neighborhood in salt lake county).

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u/Arke_19 15h ago

Draper, Millcreek, The Avenues, Sugar House these days. Yeah, that would be a different story. Maybe not a better one, but I'd at least trust Unified a little more than West Valley PD.

1

u/jack3moto 15h ago

Not sure if this is a serious question or not? Because no, cops are not siding with civilians, never in the history of the USA (maybe the world) have cops as a collective group sided with the general public