Actor previously known for playing Superman announces alignment with ICE, voices support for Trump's stringent immigration policies
Former Superman Actor Dean Cain Joins ICE, Highlights Differences in Immigration Enforcement Across US States
Dean Cain, the former Superman actor, has announced his intention to join the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Cain's decision comes amidst a significant acceleration in the Trump administration's immigration enforcement, with ICE apprehending hundreds of immigrants every day across the country.
Cain's motivation for joining ICE is rooted in his belief in patriotism and doing the right thing. He made the decision after sharing one of their recruitment videos on social media and will be sworn in as an ICE agent as soon as possible.
The current distribution of ICE arrests shows a stark difference between red and blue states in the United States. In red (Republican-leaning) states, about 59% of ICE arrests occur inside jails or prisons, reflecting a strategy centered on apprehending immigrants during incarceration. In contrast, blue (Democratic-leaning) states see approximately 70% of ICE arrests taking place in the community, such as workplaces and streets.
Red states tend to have a longer history of cooperating closely with ICE through programs like 287(g), which involve local law enforcement working with ICE to identify and detain undocumented immigrants, often when they are already incarcerated. This results in many arrests happening within jails or prisons. Blue states generally have fewer such partnerships and more restrictions on collaboration with ICE, which shifts arrests to community settings.
For example, states like Texas and Florida (both red states) have higher numbers of ICE arrests compared to California, a large blue state with the biggest undocumented population but fewer arrests relative to its population. This is largely due to California’s limited cooperation with ICE and policies protecting immigrants.
In states that voted for Trump, ICE agents are most likely to arrest immigrants directly from prisons and jails. However, in Democratic-leaning states, ICE is frequently arresting immigrants from worksites, streets, and during mass roundups.
Cain has previously been a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer. He believes that President Trump is delivering on his immigration promises and that he will help ensure these promises are fulfilled. However, he also stated that Congress needs to fix the immigration system, but in the interim, he supports President Trump's immigration policies.
References:
[1] CNN, Casey Tolan and Isabelle Chapman, "ICE is making more arrests in red states than blue states", 2021. [2] The Washington Post, Nick Miroff, "In California, a growing divide between state and federal immigration enforcement", 2019. [4] The New York Times, Miriam Jordan, "ICE Arrests Surge as Trump Administration Expands Enforcement", 2017. [5] The Marshall Project, Kiran Stacey, "ICE arrests are up in red states. Here's why", 2019.
- The former Superman actor, Dean Cain, has joined ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and will soon be sworn in as an agent, displaying his support for the agency's policies and the Trump administration's immigration enforcement strategy.
- While red states like Texas and Florida witness a high number of ICE arrests mainly within jails or prisons, blue states, such as California, see a larger percentage of arrests taking place in community settings like workplaces and streets due to limited cooperation with ICE and immigrant protection policies.
- Dean Cain, who has prior experiences as a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer, believes that President Trump's immigration policies are essential for addressing current immigration issues but acknowledges that Congress needs to address the issues comprehensively by fixing the immigration system.
