ICE Discovers Protesters Exist, Treats Them Like Foreign Threats
Protesters suing ICE for firing pepper spray into cars after Renee Good's killing is the latest chapter in ICE's storied history of treating civil dissent like a border incursion. This isn't an isolated incident; it's a pattern from an agency often criticized for its aggressive tactics, whether it's separating families or conducting raids far from any border. The agency, established in 2003,
consistently operates with an expansive interpretation of its powers, leading to numerous lawsuits alleging excessive force and violations of civil liberties. (Perhaps 'Homeland Security' was never meant to protect everyone in the homeland, just a select few.) One might ask, how many 'domestic threats' does a democracy need before it starts looking suspiciously like authoritarianism? The targeting
of protesters, particularly those demonstrating against state violence, conveniently blurs the line between public assembly and 'breaches of security.' It's almost as if the only thing ICE is consistently good at is creating new enemies out of concerned citizens.