ICE Bulks Up: Because More Borders Need More Enforcement?
Newsweek reports ICE has added a staggering 12,000 agents after a nationwide recruitment effort, framing it as an agency success story. Missing from this glowing account? Any mention of the widely documented human rights abuses, family separations, or the controversial 'secure communities' program that turned local law enforcement into de facto immigration agents. The agency, established
post-9/11, expanded its reach exponentially under the guise of national security, often targeting vulnerable communities far from any actual border threat. One might wonder if 12,000 new agents are for security, or for expanding the terror against asylum seekers. Instead of scrutinizing what necessitates such an aggressive, militarized build-up of an internal enforcement agency—an agency often
criticized by human rights organizations like the ACLU for its aggressive tactics and due process violations—we get a pat on the back for 'recruitment success.' Apparently, a government agency growing its force by thousands to conduct raids and deportations is simply 'news' to be reported without context. It seems some agencies are always funded and expanded, regardless of the ethical
implications.