Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis—an act that has sparked national outrage and made clear to many people sitting on the sidelines that it’s past time to pay attention. Less than 24 hours later, Border Patrol agents shot two people during a traffic stop in Portland. Federal officials fired into a civilian vehicle and then left the scene before local police even arrived. Community members found the wounded man and woman two miles away. This is what the Trump administration’s crackdown looks like: secret police tactics, escalating violence, and total impunity.
So when people ask me how to observe ICE safely, I don’t sugarcoat it. If you’re going to do this work, you need to know the risks and be prepared.
Whether you’re part of a team mission or you just happen to see something while going about your day, this guide is meant to help you stay safe, legal, and effective when monitoring ICE from inside a vehicle.
If you’re looking for deeper guidance on how to protect your community and counteract fascist and state violence, download Task Force Butler’s resources:
Know Your Role: Driver vs. Observer
If you’re behind the wheel, your job is to drive. That means your attention needs to stay on the road and the surroundings immediately outside your vehicle. You cannot be both the driver and the person collecting evidence. In military terms, the person in the passenger seat is the “vehicle commander”—the one giving direction, staying alert to external threats, and coordinating with others. This structure exists for a reason: safety.
If you plan to observe ICE, never go out solo. One-person vehicles are a liability. You need at least one other person with you—preferably more, especially if you’re coordinating with multiple vehicles.
Essential Gear Checklist
Here are some tools every team should consider having ready:
Dash Cam System: Modern multi-angle dash cams can record near-360-degree video and automatically upload footage to the cloud via your phone. Install them once and they require almost no maintenance. If something happens—or if you’re killed—the evidence is already saved offsite and can’t be tampered with.
Radio Comms: For teams operating in more than one vehicle, use affordable handheld radios to coordinate without relying on your phones. This saves your batteries, and frees up your phones for other uses.
Burner Phone for Evidence Capture: If you’re doing this frequently enough to justify the expense, use a dedicated phone to record video and photos—separate from your personal device. While it is legal to record and photograph law enforcement so long as you’re not obstructing them, they’ll frequently try to break or confiscate phones. If they do this to your burner and you aren’t detained, you’ll still be able to communicate, call for help, or keep recording.
High-Resolution Camera: A zoom lens can capture details like patches, name tags, or even textures on clothing. This level of detail can help identify agents accused of wrongdoing later.
Body-Worn Camera (Optional but Highly Recommended): If the passenger ever needs to dismount, a GoPro-style or body cam allows for hands-free recording. This allows you to maintain situational awareness without the tunnel vision that comes from holding a phone, and it allows you to keep your hands free.
Chargers, cords, batteries: Any equipment that can be plugged in during use should be charging.
Legal and Practical Safety Tips
Have your license and registration. Your plates must be visible. If you’re driving, the feds can already track you—there’s no point in leaving your phone at home.
Keep cloud backups enabled on your dash cam and phone. The goal is to make sure that if your equipment is seized, broken, or if you’re killed, the evidence isn’t lost and can’t be erased. That also means someone you trust should have access to your accounts in case something happens to you.
Don’t break the law. This isn’t about confrontation. It’s about documentation, accountability, and community safety.
ICE acts like a secret police force. They operate with a level of impunity that makes community-led oversight critical. Vice President JD Vance just said from a podium at the White House that federal agents have “absolute immunity” (they do not). It’s clear that federal prosecutions for excessive force will only come when the public sees evidence is extraordinarily powerful, and when the people demand justice. Just like we do when we observe fascist street gangs, we need to treat ICE as a threat to civil liberties and community safety.
ICE is killing people. And it’s going to become more common. With that reality in mind, everything you do as an observer must be grounded in an understanding that your safety is not guaranteed. Documentation isn’t just about future accountability. It’s about making sure the truth survives, even if you don’t.
We can’t stop what no one else sees. So document everything, share it widely, and protect each other.
Let’s go on offense.
