ICE's Courtroom Habit: Contempt as Policy
📰 THE STORY: Bloomberg reports that a federal judge in Minneapolis has strongly criticized US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for violating court orders almost 100 times in just 74 cases brought by immigrants so far this year, noting the actual number is 'almost certainly' far higher. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: This apparent 'disregard' for legal process by ICE
is not new; it's deeply ingrained. The agency's precursor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), was notorious for abuses and lack of accountability, leading to its dismantling and the creation of ICE under the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. Since its inception, ICE has faced consistent accusations of human rights abuses, unlawful detentions, and extrajudicial actions, from
family separations under the 'zero tolerance' policy in 2018 (which led to thousands of children being separated from parents, many still not reunited) to the 2019 reports of medical negligence and forced sterilizations in detention centers. Violating court orders is a feature, not a bug, of an organization designed for aggressive enforcement rather than due process. Double Standard: Imagine if a
foreign government's law enforcement agency was found to have violated court orders nearly 100 times in just a few months, impacting vulnerable populations. Western media would decry it as evidence of authoritarianism, a 'rogue state,' or rampant corruption deserving of sanctions. Yet, when a US agency like ICE exhibits this behavior, it's framed as an internal administrative issue – a 'blasting'