‘I think their original plan was fine. What they’re doing now is targeting U.S. citizens and hurting people.’

Katie Kaczinski, 19, is a sophomore in college who was raised in Eagle, Wisconsin. There, she found a passion for healthcare. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She recently became more aware of the role of ICE due to the impact it has had on her and others in her career field.

Brianna Pettineo: What do you think about the role of ICE in the United States?

Katie Kaczinski: People think I’m going to have some bizarre opinion and then I end up being moderate on things. I understand why ICE is a thing. There are laws in place for people to not come into the country as they please, but not every situation is the same. ICE is not really doing their job, and they seem to keep coming to ICE protests. I don’t know what ICE is doing at ICE protests. They keep showing up to things that they have nothing to do with.

Pettineo: How do you think ICE is improving public safety and is there any improvement?

Kaczinski: I think their original plan was fine. What they’re doing now is targeting U.S. citizens and hurting people. Even now with Alex Pretti, I think that hits home.

Pettineo: You said you are currently a nursing student. Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse killed by ICE. How has that affected you and what you think about the situation?

Kaczinski: I work at a hospital and sometimes work in the ICU. Let me remind the citizens that Pretti worked for the government. He worked for the VA, which is a federal program. My father also works at the VA. Pretti is obviously not anti-government. I wouldn’t want that to happen to any of my co-workers or my father. It hits so close to home since that’s my entire life. That was not something I wanted to see in the news, especially to someone who is legally concealed carrying and a U.S. citizen. It’s disgusting and gruesome.

Pettineo: You’ve seen this issue all over media and the news. How do you think media coverage has influenced how people view ICE?

Kaczinski: I feel like the reason why this country has a political divide is because of social media. It has ruined what politics is today because government officials are able to use a platform and hate on people. I’m not saying that all forms of media are bad. I think that the internet is great, but I feel like it’s added to the political divide and what is happening with ICE, is influencing this idea.

Pettineo: Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share about ICE or related subjects?

Kaczinski: I think if you’re going to be speaking about something that’s so political, you should at least be educated on it. Honestly, I don’t think that I would be educated enough to give an opinion about what’s going on, but I have an opinion.  I think that if you’re going to be speaking your mind about something political, watch things that are going on in the news. It’s not hard to open your computer and watch the news.