ICE Closed Facility Inspection Unit During Shutdown
The Department of Homeland Security, flush with a $170 billion 'infusion' for immigration and border funding, deemed ICE's general operations 'essential.' Yet, the office responsible for checking on the very places where people are held? Furloughed. One wonders if 'essential' now translates to 'unhindered operation without oversight.' This isn't an isolated incident; it's a predictable pattern of
bureaucratic convenience. When the choice is between maintaining the machinery of detention and ensuring accountability within it, the accountability unit often seems to be the first casualty. How many 'budget cuts' does it take to realize this isn't about saving money, but saving face by avoiding inconvenient truths?