Despite all the rhetoric about violent illegal immigrants and immigrant illegal drug dealers, what are ICE and others assisting it actually doing?
From what I can tell, they’re targeting immigrants and anyone who even looks like they might be an immigrant, largely without probable cause, in and around schools, colleges and universities, markets, churches, and even around immigration offices where immigrants are trying to follow the law. They’re also targeting immigrants here legally whose only crime is to have the nerve to criticize ICE and/or Trump’s policies.
What they don’t seem to be doing, or aren’t doing all that successfully, is targeting, arresting, and prosecuting and/or deporting the comparatively tiny percentage of illegal immigrants who are criminals (beyond being undocumented) and who are behind the epidemic of fentanyl and other illegal drugs, human sex trafficking, and other violent crimes.
The federal/ICE attitude seems to be that, if they deport anyone and everyone who looks like an immigrant, that will solve the problem. It won’t, because the skilled and hardened immigrant criminals avoid all the locations where ICE is patrolling and seizing people to deport, at times almost randomly, and without any form of legal proceeding.
This near-blind snatch and grab campaign terrorizes communities, disrupts workplaces and schools, increases the costs for farms and businesses, and creates chaos. It also provokes violence and crimes. What it doesn’t do is reduce crime and illegal drugs.
Effective law enforcement works systematically and with the community, not against it, to target and find actual criminals, prove their guilt, and apply the proper punishment. But all that takes planning, time, and hard methodical work, none of which seem to be employed by ICE and Homeland Security.
Saw this quote the other day (no attribution sadly). Seems pretty similar to what you’re saying:
If you are using undocumented immigrants’ tax records to find and kidnap them, then it was never about them paying taxes.
If you are showing up at their place of employment, then it was never about them not working.
If you are showing up at courthouses, then it was never about getting them to “do it the right way”.
If you are kidnapping women and children, then it was never about criminals.
If you’re refusing to give them due process, then it was never about the Constitution.
If you are building concentration camps in Florida to keep them here in cages, then it was never about the border.
If you’re spending billions to do this, then it was never about the economy.
And if you’re doing all this in the name of a 34 time convicted felon, then it was never about following the law.