In today’s divided political landscape, opinions on the actions of ICE agents in Minnesota are sharply split. However, turning to the insights of Murray Rothbard offers a thoughtful and critical perspective. Although Rothbard never encountered ICE agents during his lifetime, his writings suggest he would likely criticize the violent actions of these agents in Minnesota.
Rothbard would probably see them as symbols of state aggression and institutionalized coercion. In his works, For a New Liberty and Anatomy of the State, he described the state as a monopolistic violator of individual rights, equating taxation, conscription, and police power with institutionalized theft, murder, and enslavement. ICE raids, especially those involving illegal surveillance, warrantless searches and seizures, use of force, and suppression of observers, fit perfectly with what Rothbard identified as the state’s main function of self-protection rather than citizen protection.
He would likely view these operations not as law enforcement but as state terrorism, particularly when targeting non-aggressive individuals. In For a New Liberty, Rothbard argued that justice should arise from voluntary, private institutions rather than state monopolies. The fact that ICE agents operate under federal authority—using public roads and government infrastructure for raids—would, in his view, represent a compulsory imposition on society, funded by stolen resources and enforced through violence. He would likely point out the irony of the state punishing private crime while committing far greater crimes itself, such as the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both without any real accountability.
What might a Rothbardian solution entail? I believe it would not be reform but total abolition. Rothbard envisioned a fully-privatized society where property owners, not state agents, controlled access to land and security. In such a world, immigration and law enforcement would be governed by contract and consent, not coercion. The current system—where the state enforces “open borders” or “closed borders” against the wishes of local communities—would likely be seen as illegitimate central planning.
While the political climate demands allegiance to one side or another, a more reasoned view can be found through libertarian principles, supported by the words of Murray Rothbard. The tension and upset caused by ICE actions in Minnesota are not just a byproduct but a function of these types of agencies. While many of us are surprised at the lengths ICE is going to, Rothbard viewed this as a very predictable outcome of state power and government overreach, one that he spent his entire life denouncing.
