Seriously ICE, you're better than you're behaving, or at least you were!
TAT readers,
Today comes a discussion about the thuggery from ICE and related entities, that we are all watching in real-time streaming and other videos. ICE was not always like this but under a lawless regime called the MAGA GOP, public cruelty has become their most defining factor. Tragically for the overwhelming majority of decent agents, this universally immoral and illegal behavior from the thugs, has destroyed any faith we previously had in the organization. It is not just ICE either, as that there is supporting thuggery from other agencies.
Then, a topic I hope to cover in-depth one of these days, there’s the combined threat from DOGE’s thefts of our personal data, in conjunction with that other notorious South African racist-affiliated oligarch, Peter Thiel of Palantir infamy. Thiel is using all of that data, to build individual profiles of all Americans, to track them in real-time. There are other serious threats to Americans from Thiel’s strategy, but these are better left to their own essay, where they can be discussed in-depth.
Now friends, let’s talk about rogue actions by ICE, as we understand them from the news.
Before we can assess what is rogue, first we must know what reality is in the first place. For that reason, allow me a paragraph or so to explain the ICE professionals that I have interacted with professionally or know via friends and colleagues in common.
ICE was formed under DHS, when it was created in 2002, as a result of the 9-11 attack. Until the Trump era, I have been professionally, very appreciative of what ICE does and historically, has done quite well. Essentially they are split into two distinct Law Enforcement entities, Immigration Enforcement and Combating Transnational Crime. The bulk of immigration enforcement though, takes place with CBP/ Customs and Border Patrol. ICE primarily does the investigating while focusing their efforts in the US interior, not so much at our borders. ICE, in cooperation with other US law enforcement entities has been fully worth that post- 9-11 investment.
As noted, all of this fine work has been overshadowed by a rogue GOP regime, operating lawlessly and cruelly in the most public manner possible. I could hardly be more ashamed of the rogues we see operating with terrorist-like masks and more tactical equipment than I wore on countless missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and other less than hospitable places around the globe. These thugs are operating with a “shock and awe” strategy determined to cower both immigrants and citizens demanding that ICE obey the law. These thugs are clearly not obeying the law… not even close.
For example, below are a few links to court cases challenging ICE’s illegal behavior.
Then of course, there are the high profile cases that cause ICE, their now, well-deserved horrible reputation. The Kilmar Abrego Garcia case is one of countless such cases and beyond egregious. Even the US Supreme Court said so in a unanimous decision and which this administration, has yet to honor.
Not only was Kilmar Garcia errantly arrested and deported, but so were over half of the, mostly Venezuelan deportees imprisoned in the infamously detestable El Salvadorian prison called CECOT.
"The Trump administration knew that the vast majority of the 238 Venezuelan immigrants it sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in mid-March had not been convicted of crimes in the United States before it labeled them as terrorists and deported them, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security data that has not been previously reported." - Trump Administration Knew Vast Majority of Venezuelans Sent to Salvadoran Prison Had Not Been Convicted of U.S. Crimes - ProPublica - by Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica; Perla Trevizo, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune; Melissa Sanchez and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica; Ronna Rísquez, Alianza Rebelde Investiga; and Adrián González, Cazadores de Fake News - May 30, 2025, 5 a.m. CDT
A new ruse as of a couple of weeks ago, Immigration judges are being pressured to dismiss cases against asylum seekers who don’t want to have them dismissed. Once an asylum seeker is in the system, they are no longer legally defined as “undocumented aliens.” This places great limitations on ICE to appease the administration’s appetite for higher deportation numbers. How this dismissal ruse works is that an asylum seeker shows up for their scheduled hearings and then, even against their will their case is dismissed. The dismissal invalidates their legal status and ICE agents line the hallways of courthouses, ready to pounce on these hapless and rarely criminal asylum seekers, who are devoutly honoring their Asylum application requirements.
ICE Ruses When Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents go to homes and the community to arrest non-citizens, it’s common for them to lie about who they are and what they want from the individuals they encounter. The lies are called “ruses.” Ruses are an officially-sanctioned ICE policy, taught to new agents at the ICE Training Academy, and are subject to almost no restrictions. The Immigrant Defense Project’s lawsuit, Immigrant Defense Project, et al. v. ICE, et al., has made internal ICE training documents and memos, including those on ruses, publicly available. From the results of this Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, IDP produced the Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests Toolkit, available in English and Spanish. Ruses are a tactic used frequently by ICE in investigating and arresting non-citizens. Since 2013, IDP has monitored ICE arrests, tactics, and trends, and has verified hundreds of reported raids, including those involving ICE’s use of ruses. Though ICE’s tactics regularly evolve, ICE’s use of ruses has escalated since 2017. - ICE ruses - IDP, Immigrant Defense Project - – Story 1255 [CM], Brooklyn, NY, January 2019 [All initials have been assigned to protect identities].
From a different perspective, in again steps that second most famous South African with racist ties, Peter Thiel of Palantir. His contacts with the fringe far-right have grown in his support for Trump and his white supremacist agenda. ICE has employed Palantir for a decade and not always in a meaningful or effective manner. Now, Palantir is the brand new owner of multiple ICE and DoD contracts, worth countless tens of millions, with more to come. Just recently, Trump has tapped Thiel’s Palantir, to collect and assemble data on US citizens, that will assist in among other things, tracking us, just as it does for ICE. Apparently, Trump and this GOP regime, don’t give a damn about our Fourth Amendment either!
As we all now well-understand, the United States of America is now being run by a Republican Party, devoid of values and a moral spine. They do not honor their oath and task agents to do their bidding. ICE is but one example. Pete Hegseth’s racist and immoral handling of DOD, is another high-profile example, as well as the absolute deviance from law and integrity as the cos-playing Noem Gnome, running DHS. In fact, I haven’t found a single cabinet secretary that operates within the law, unless the courts hold their feet to the fire.
If we the voters tolerate this from our own government, it is our own fault when, not if, our constitutional republic ceases to exist. Trump, the Republican Party and their oligarchical enablers, have taken the “boiling a frog” metaphor, to our national demise. They slowly chip away at our rights and constitution until it is too late to save it. It is up to us to put our collective feet down and stop letting this lawless administration, “boil us.”
boiling frog idiom A problematic situation that will gradually increase in severity until it reaches calamitous proportions, such that the people involved or affected by it will not notice the danger until it is too late to act. It is a metaphor taken from an anecdotal parable about boiling a frog, in which a frog placed in boiling water will immediately try to save itself, but one placed in cool water that is gradually brought to a boil will not notice the heat until it is boiled to death. - The free dictionary
I sincerely hope that this essay finds its way into ICE circles, so that the overwhelming majority of agents with integrity, stop allowing the rogue thugs to ruin theirs and the agency’s reputation permanently. The illegal, shock and awe, made for TV raids must stop. Adherence to the law, must be resolute and full-proof. That is how Americans operate, not the wannabe Gestapo-like tactics now being employed. I could hardly be more ashamed of those participating with their outlandish, cos-playing tactical gear and terrorist masks, that we so often see.
I don’t give a damn either about Director Lyon’s defense of such tactics either. I know better and from personal experience. His claim of “doxing” and threats as the reason for the balaclavas, popular among all terrorist groups is preposterous. If that were the case, wouldn’t all law enforcement around the nation simply wear them daily? Hell, I receive serious threats from the MAGA GOP crowd regularly and have ever since I began publicly defending our national values against the Trump/ GOP crowd. He insults our intelligence and takes advantage of our respect for the rule of law, common among most Americans, regardless of party.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense. - Sixth Amendment
In America, our Sixth Amendment gives us the constitutional right to “know our accusers.” ICE agents behaving as they have, are far outside the law. The Sixth Amendment, doesn’t say anything about citizens vs. non-citizens. Maybe, if all of those cowardly law firms had not sold their souls to Trump, they could be defending the constitution, not Trump’s partners in crime.
These are the firms, that sold out to Trump
Covington & Burling.
Elias Law Group.
Jenner & Block.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
Perkins Coie.
Susman Godfrey.
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.
Summary
To wrap up this heavy essay, I wish to reinforce what my longtime stated opinions are on immigration. I have written often about this topic, especially in regards to the TX GOP’s cruel, often illegal political stunts regarding immigration. I will share those links after a brief recap of my views.
We are a nation of immigrants and constitutionally , this means any deserving person regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, creed or otherwise, are entitled to due process
Yes, we must have an effective immigration system, but believing that the GOP’s BS about Border Security being enough, is patently false and borders on fantasy.
Comprehensive Immigration reform is the only answer and also, the job of our dysfunctional Legislative Branch, not the Executive Branch. It is they who have failed for decades and maybe more.
American values are not cruelty nor lawlessness
We are a nation of laws and except for bizarre opinion from Chief Justice John Roberts and the other right wing justices of our US Supreme Court, that means that we are all, “equal before the law.”
The Christian Nationalists running our nation, are not Christian at all, if they back what Trump, the GOP and ICE are doing.
These heartless Republican voters, are also not patriots, so long as they believe that breaking the law and ignoring our constitutional rights are acceptable.
We can have responsible, ethical and enforceable immigration, by following the constitution, not ignoring it.
These nine points are just the basics and all are covered in the following and closing essays, which I have entitled The Southern Border/ Immigration special edition. This edition includes 7 full-length essays.
Well everyone, this has been enough for one day. I keep telling myself that I will write shorter essays and all too often, I fail. This one though, is a tiny bit shorter and there are ample links to deep background on the subject. As you know, I try to give everyone a complete picture, backed with the most credible of sources. My mission to “pay it forward” just as my heroes and mentors have done for me. In our republic, our founders intended it to be a participatory style of governance and along those lines, they expected that citizens of our nascent republic, to be well and accurately informed.
My keyboard and my vote, is my way of being a fully participatory citizen. Historically, when Americans are pushed against our values as hard as this administration has, we rebel. This is my way of not only rebelling, but helping all of you to do so as well. We are in this together and we are more importantly, stronger together.
Onward and “Libertatem Defendimus”, Liberty we Defend
Paul
I agree that part of the reason to cover faces is that they don’t want to receive personal attention and scrutiny from friends, or neighbors. I’m sure the family knows but perhaps if the agent has kids do not know details.
It definitely is not a badge of pride to say I detained and deported children with cancer. Not exactly hero making actions.