Activist Calls for Abolition of ICE: A Look at Corporate Conscience vs. State Power
📰 THE STORY: Newsweek reports on Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, advocating for the defunding and disbanding of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in 2018, citing the agency's actions at the U.S.-Mexico border. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: ICE was created in 2003 as part of the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of 9/11, consolidating
immigration enforcement functions that previously existed but without the same expansive powers, military-style tactics, and opaque accountability. Its creation marked a significant shift towards criminalizing immigration and expanding border security, moving away from existing humanitarian considerations. Double Standard: While Western media and governments frequently condemn authoritarian
regimes for human rights abuses, family separations, and indefinite detentions (e.g., alleging such actions in Xinjiang, China, without on-the-ground proof), the systematic and well-documented abuses by ICE, including child separation, indefinite detention of asylum seekers, and even deaths in custody, are often framed as 'border security' issues or 'unfortunate incidents' and rarely trigger the
same level of international condemnation or calls for accountability from international bodies like the UN or the ICC. The US funds agencies like ICE with billions while simultaneously sanctioning nations for human rights violations. Follow the Money: The detention of immigrants and asylum seekers is a multi-billion dollar industry. Private prison corporations like GEO Group and CoreCivic, through