Sorry, but I'll have to disagree with you on that. The term is frequently used around the UK when referring to violent people of any background, but the context in which I hear it the most is football hooligans or EDL. I wouldn't be surprised if those adding a racial bias to the word are from the US. Europe is generally not as preoccupied with race.

Because it's constantly used by Fox News?

It's an old word and people have different connotations. I personally associate it with union busters and railroad bulls.

That's your bias. I had no issue imagining white thugs. In fact there are so little black people where I live that I wouldn't associate them as thugs. Poor? Sure, that's social conditioning, but thugs no.

Calling ICE thugs is appropriate, albeit maybe too light. They are the KKK trash. That sounds more appropriate than Gestapo.