NYT Discovers 'Tensions' Over ICE, Forgetting Decades of State-Sanctioned Terror
📰 THE STORY: The New York Times reports on a protest at a Minnesota church service concerning ICE tactics, describing it as adding to existing 'tensions' over immigration enforcement methods. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The concept of sanctuary churches in the US has roots dating back to the 1980s, when activists sheltered Central American refugees fleeing US-backed proxy
wars and death squads in countries like Guatemala (where the CIA overthrew its democratically-elected government in 1954 for the United Fruit Company). These refugees were often denied asylum and faced deportation back to the violence the US helped create. This isn't 'new tension' but a recurring struggle against imperial blowback. Double Standard: Mainstream media decries 'authoritarian regimes'
in countries like Venezuela or Bolivia (targets of US regime change efforts in 2002 and 2019, respectively) for using state force against dissent or marginalized populations. Yet, when US federal agents (ICE agents are armed, federal law enforcement) target individuals seeking refuge, often in sacred spaces, it's framed as 'tensions' or 'tactics' rather than a reflection of state brutality or a
crisis of humanitarian policy. Imagine the headline if a 'rival' government conducted such operations. Follow the Money: Beyond direct ICE funding (billions annually), the 'migrant crisis' narrative fuels the for-profit detention industry. Companies like GEO Group and CoreCivic, which operate detention centers, rake in billions from federal contracts and lobby heavily for stricter immigration