When Law Enforcement Becomes the Terror
📰 THE STORY: The Hill's opinion piece focuses on individuals Pretti and Good, painting them as local heroes resisting an ICE crackdown in Minneapolis, and implicitly questioning the use of the term 'domestic terrorist' without fully deconstructing who truly employs terror domestically. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The U.S. government has a long, documented history of
labeling dissent and resistance, particularly from marginalized groups, as 'terrorism' or 'insurgency.' From the COINTELPRO program targeting civil rights and Black Power movements in the 1960s and 70s, to the systematic repression of Indigenous land defenders today, the state has consistently used its vast resources to undermine and criminalize opposition. ICE itself was formed in 2003,
post-9/11, consolidating immigration enforcement under a national security paradigm, allowing for more aggressive tactics that mirrors COINTELPRO's reach. Double Standard: The narrative frames ICE's actions as a debate over 'crackdowns,' while simultaneously glorifying federal agencies that ruthlessly execute immigration policies that tear families apart. Meanwhile, legitimate acts of resistance
against these policies are often smeared as 'anarchy' or 'extremism.' This contrasts sharply with how 'terrorism' is defined when it serves U.S. foreign policy interests—suddenly, armed groups in Syria are 'freedom fighters,' but community organizers resisting ICE are 'terrorists.' The brutal repression of the 2019 uprising in Bolivia, where Indigenous leaders were jailed and killed after a