The February 6 episode of Freeform’s The Fosters titled “Scars” depicts an ICE agent tipping off a teenager about a planned raid at a high school for DACA students who have reached the age of 18 years old. Presumably, the agent has grown a conscience after seeing the horrors of the Trump administration's immigration policy firsthand.
ICE Agent Allen approaches social justice warrior Callie (Maia Mitchell) saying he needs to talk to her. Allen was one of the agents who had pursued Callie’s friend Ximena, a DACA recipient, leading to her seeking sanctuary in a church, while viewers were lectured about "inhumane" ICE agents doing their jobs and "witch hunts" for illegal aliens.
Agent Allen explains that he thought he was making the country safer by working for ICE but nope, now the country’s changed and “agents are being given carte blanche to go after whoever they want, however they want.”
Callie: What do you want?
Allen: I need to talk to you.
Callie: I've nothing to say to you.
Allen: I want to apologize. We were told that Ximena made threatening remarks at the protest, radical stuff-- you know, calling for violence, that kinda thing. It wasn't until I saw the video of her speech at the hearing that I realized we'd been lied to. She never should've been targeted.
Callie: What about her parents? -'Cause they were targeted too.
Allen: I wasn't involved in detaining them.
Callie: Well, her family's basically been destroyed, so just keep telling yourself that.
Allen: Look, just so you know, I didn't get into this to chase innocent teenagers into churches. You know, I thought I was making this country safer. The things at ICE have changed, agents are being given carte blanche to go after whoever they want however they want. It's not right.
Callie: So, what are you gonna do about it? 'Cause frankly, an apology doesn't cut it.
Allen: I know. That's why I've got some information I wanna give you.
Agent Allen tips Callie off about a raid at the school later in the week and tells her he will phone her with a heads-up just before it happens. Three DACA teens who have just turned 18 years old are being targeted. This is his way of making amends with Callie for participating in Ximena’s detention. He asks her to video the raid to “expose everything that is going on.” What could possibly go wrong?
When she receives the call, Callie leaps into action. She’s joined by her adopted sister Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) and her friend Aaron (Elliot Fletcher). They decide to warn the students of the raid as they arrive for school instead of just filming it. During the chaos, Aaron is taken into custody for interfering in the raid – he was shoved into an agent who reacted by cuffing him and hauling him off.
Later, Agent Allen meets with Callie and she confronts him about Aaron’s arrest. She tells him that Aaron was shoved into that agent and didn’t deserve to be arrested. Allen responds that Callie was only supposed to film the raid. Naturally, Callie demands Allen tell his superiors what really happened but Allen refuses to do so because a leak is already suspected. He explains he has 30 years on the job and a family to support.
Callie: They booked my friend!Allen: You were only supposed to document what happened.
Callie: We weren't just gonna sit there and watch! And Aaron was pushed into that agent, okay? You saw it! I know you did! He was not obstructing!
Allen: What am I supposed to do?
Callie: Tell them what really happened!
Allen: They're already pretty sure that there was a leak about the raid. If I suddenly start defending your friend, it's gonna set off alarms.
Callie: Someone needs to set off some alarms! Okay? I thought that's what we were doing! And if not, then what was your big apology about? What? You feel bad for Ximena, but not bad enough to actually doing something about it. Is that it?
Allen: Look, I'm doing what I can. Look, giving a statement like that could cost me my job. I've been doing this for 30 years. I can't just start over. I've got a family to provide for and a pension to think about. And I'm not sacrificing all that. I'm sorry.
He walks away but he does, in fact, see to it that Aaron is released.
The writers are determined to drive their open borders message no matter what. It’s quite disgusting to watch that message play out at the expense of ICE agents simply doing their jobs. The rule of law still governs this country and we owe a debt of gratitude to these public servants who protect us all.
