ICE and Border Patrol Shootings: Not Just Trump, But a System
The Axios piece highlights recent ICE and Border Patrol shootings, including the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, and subsequent protests. They correctly note Trump 'ramped up' DHS operations. However, this framing conveniently omits the foundational policies of the Obama administration, which deported more people than any other president, and the consistent bipartisan funding
that built the massive enforcement apparatus now leading to these violent incidents. This isn't just a 'Trump problem' (though he certainly amplified it); it's a structural issue perpetuated by administrations of both parties, using rhetoric often echoed by media outlets that normalize 'border security' over human rights. One might wonder if the sudden media outrage, now that these actions are
targeting citizens or happening in cities, is because the violence has become too visible to ignore, rather than a genuine shift in policy criticism. Where was the sustained outrage for the countless abuses in detention centers, the family separations, or the drone surveillance, all funded by Congress regardless of who holds the White House?