For years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has shielded its aggressive enforcement tactics behind a single, convenient narrative: that ICE is only interested in removing “the worst of the worst”—individuals with violent criminal records who pose a direct threat to public safety.
But a recent congressional testimony by Representative Steve Cohen has completely dismantled that façade, revealing that the agency is now targeting individuals who not only entered the country legally but played a vital role in supporting U.S. military efforts abroad.
The Betrayal of Our Allies
Former Afghanistan interpreter proud to serve as signal officer | Article | The United States Army
In his sworn testimony, Cohen recounted a chilling meeting with a prominent Baptist minister from Memphis who arrived at his office in a state of shock. The pastor revealed that two Afghan men from his congregation—members of his church and devout Christians—had been suddenly swept up by ICE agents.
The details of their detention are particularly galling:
Legal Status: Both men entered the country legally and had committed no criminal offenses, let alone violent ones.
Service to the U.S.: One of the men had previously served as an interpreter for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, putting his life on the line to support American interests.
Tactical Cruelty: ICE agents took one of the men to the airport and forced him to call his wife and children, ordering them to meet him there just to witness his removal. The entire family was then flown to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas, where they remain in custody.
Global Displacement: A third individual from the same congregation—a young man with no criminal record—was seized by ICE, moved to a facility in Louisiana, and is now facing deportation to Brazil, a country he has no connection to.
South Texas immigration detention center to reopen
A Paramilitary Force with No Oversight
This pattern of behavior led Representative Cohen to a stark conclusion: ICE is no longer operating as a standard law enforcement agency. “Law enforcement acts with regard for people,” Cohen stated. “They wear badges… they have their names on their uniforms… they don’t have masks on.”
Instead, ICE has devolved into a “paramilitary group” that operates with total disregard for the constitutional rights of legal residents and citizens alike. The agency’s reliance on “masked engagement,” the manufacture of “traffic hazards” to justify lethal force, and the use of undercover disguises—like the fake “plumbing” vans recently documented in Minneapolis—are the hallmarks of an occupying force, not a civil department.
Who are these people?’ Masked immigration agents challenge local police, sow fear in L.A. - Los Angeles Times
The Noem Accountability Crisis
ACD Applauds Senate Confirmation of DHS Secretary Nominee Kristi Noem - HSToday
While Kristi Noem was recently ousted from her position as DHS Secretary, she is far from being off the hook. Cohen argued that Noem’s leadership has been a “discredit to this government” and that her repeated lies to Congress—including her false claims that ICE does not detain U.S. citizens—warrant a full criminal investigation.
Under Noem’s watch, ICE has become an agency that actively hunts those who supported our military, uses their families as tactical leverage, and ignores court orders with impunity. The firing of a secretary is merely a symbolic gesture if the systemic rot she oversaw is allowed to continue. As the “metro surge” continues to roll out new fleets of pursuit vehicles in cities like Minneapolis, it is clear that the machine is only getting stronger.
Chevy Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle adds safety tech | Fox News
The “worst of the worst” was never about the targets; it was a description of the tactics being deployed by the agency itself.
Primary Sources and Documentation
Congressional Testimony: Representative Steve Cohen on ICE Oversight
Context: This contains the full account regarding the Memphis pastor and the specific details of the Afghan Christian detainees held in Dilley, Texas.
Federal Procurement Records: ICE Vehicle Fleet Expansion
Context: Documentation of the multi-million-dollar contracts for the new fleet of Chevy Tahoe pursuit vehicles currently being deployed in metro areas.
ACLU Report: The Criminalization of Watchdogs and 287(g) Expansion
Context: An analysis of the national trend toward local law enforcement complicity in these “paramilitary” tactics through the expansion of the 287(g) program.
Former Afghanistan Interpreter Proud to Serve
Context: Background on the vital role interpreters play in U.S. military operations, highlighting the contrast with the current detention reports.
South Texas Immigration Detention Center Reopening
Context: Details on the facility in Dilley, Texas, where the families mentioned in the testimony are reportedly being held.
L.A. Times: Masked Immigration Agents Challenge Local Police
Context: Investigative reporting on the “masked engagement” tactics and the friction they cause with local law enforcement agencies.
Senate Confirmation of Kristi Noem
Context: Historical record of the leadership transition and the policy directions established under her tenure.
