ICE Learns Bad Guys Come in Uniforms, Too
New hires at ICE, according to The Independent, are reportedly failing background checks, drug tests, and even 'open-book tests.' This isn't just a bureaucratic slip-up; it's a window into the recruitment standards for an organization repeatedly accused of inhumane practices. Remember the 2018 reports of ICE agents destroying migrants' documents or the widespread allegations of sexual assault and
mistreatment in detention facilities? (See ACLU, Human Rights Watch archives for countless examples.) Recruiting individuals who can't pass basic vetting for criminality or drug use seems less like an oversight and more like institutional indifference, if not a feature. Perhaps ICE isn't looking for paragons of virtue, but rather those with an… 'elastic' interpretation of rules. When your agency's
operations are frequently criticized by international human rights organizations for violating established norms, does the background of your agents even matter anymore? Or is it simply a case of the institution attracting exactly the 'talent' it deserves?