Jan 23, 2026
Dear Editor:
I became a U.S. citizen after immigrating legally, and I’ve seen what happens when law enforcement is ignored or weakened. In Rio de Janeiro, where most of my family still lives, laws are often optional, and criminals run neighborhoods. Police can’t safely go in, and ordinary families live under people who answer to no one. That’s what happens when law enforcement is demonized. It’s not compassion. It’s chaos.
Living in Cherokee County, I feel a responsibility to speak up — not just for me, but for the many immigrants who believe in law, order, and fairness. We’re rarely heard. People assume immigrants are against ICE or don’t trust law enforcement. That’s not true. I came here legally, followed every rule, paid every fee, and respected the process because I believe in accountability and the rule of law. Many immigrants like me feel the same, even if louder voices overshadow us.
ICE officers deal with human trafficking, drug and weapons smuggling, and people who are real threats to public safety. They protect citizens and legal immigrants alike. Weakening or attacking ICE doesn’t make communities more compassionate. It makes them more vulnerable.
What we’re seeing across the country — and now in Cherokee County — is not about truth. It’s a political effort to vilify law enforcement and pressure officers into hesitation, even when their lives are on the line. That’s reckless and puts everyone at risk.
If these protesters really understood what they’re encouraging, they’d stop immediately. Spend one week somewhere criminals run the streets, and you’d come home grateful for every officer who still chooses to serve.
The death of the activist mother in Minnesota is heartbreaking, especially for her kids. But tragedy doesn’t automatically mean misconduct. ICE officers were doing their job. The woman who died was part of an organized ICE-watch group that blocked the street and interfered with the operation. At some point, she accelerated her car toward an ICE agent.
A vehicle used like that is a weapon. Officers are trained to recognize that threat because it can kill. The ICE agent had been dragged by a car in the past and seriously injured. That trauma doesn’t go away. When someone drives at you in a chaotic moment, your reaction is survival, not calm analysis. Officers are human.
Activists and elected officials who push confrontational protests deserve scrutiny. I live in Cherokee County because it’s safe. I stand with the officers who protect us and will not let activists speak for immigrants who respect the law. Supporting ICE is not anti-immigrant. It’s pro-law, pro-safety, and pro-fairness.
Marcia Cox
Canton