It never should have come to this.
But if we are being honest with ourselves, the writing has been on the wall for a long time. Even during the Obama and Biden administrations, the machinery of deportation was humming. They had more equitable and respectable ways of handling migration, sure. They were not without fault. But they at least attempted to maintain a veneer of humanity in a broken system.
The Trump administration tore that veneer down.
What we are witnessing now is the long shadow of white supremacy, xenophobia, and toxic nationalism finally blocking out the sun. They have taken a process that requires a human and delicate touch (where a feather should be used) and they have decided to swing a wrecking ball.
They are recruiting the most unhinged and untrained people they can find to handle complex human lives. They create chaos wherever they are deployed. And make no mistake. The chaos is the intention.
Following the state sanctioned execution of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis (a 37 year old U.S. citizen, mother, poet, and writer who was out caring for her neighbors) Rep. Shri Thanedar (D, MI) stepped up to the mic and drew a line in the sand. He did not just call for reform. He called for abolition.
The Breakdown
In the clip, Thanedar looks exhausted. He looks like someone who realizes that “reform” is a dead word. He admits what we have known since 2003: This agency should never have existed.
He explicitly cal a “paramilitary organization” and “murderers.” And he is right. Under the direction of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, this department has been twisted into something that looks less like federal law enforcement and more like a Fourth Reich on American soil.
The Reality Check
Thanedar points out that the U.S. functioned for over 200 years without ICE. Before the panic after September 11 that birthed the Department of Homeland Security, we handled immigration without these terror tactics.
This is not about blaming one side or the other for the past. It is about recognizing that the current administration has weaponized a redundant agency to enforce a twisted nationalist agenda. They have let the “secret police” off the leash.
A Note to the Community:
Stay safe out there, everyone documenting and protesting. Thank you for being there, but please stay safe! Your work matters, and we see you.
If you come across people standing up in this moment, please be kind. Compassion through humanism and empathy is how we get through.
Thanedar’s “Abolish ICE Act” is the only logical conclusion to this nightmare. You cannot fix a wrecking ball. You can only dismantle it.
Eyes Up.
