Border Patrol as 45's Secret Police?

[alwaysinasnit]

https://stoehr.substack.com/p/a0eb8dbf-d44a-499b-a88e-a56bd0916f4d

snip...

Under Donald Trump, the militarization of civil society is enmeshed with the over-criminalization of illegal entry. The administration decided to confiscate babies as a deterrent to unlawful border crossing. It created apparent “concentration camps” for immigrants and their families. Now, according to the Times, US Customs and Border Protection, or Border Patrol, is deploying 100 officers to so-called “sanctuary cities.”

The official goal is increasing deportations by 35 percent. But intimidation appears to be the real goal. Among agents, the Times said, are “members of the elite tactical unit known as BORTAC, which acts essentially as the SWAT team … With additional gear such as stun grenades and enhanced Special Forces-type training, including sniper certification, the officers typically conduct high-risk operations targeting individuals who are known to be violent, many of them with extensive criminal records.”

Before the Times broke the news, Jenn Budd, a former Border Patrol agent turned civil rights activist, reported a conversation she had with a former senior agency official:

"Border Patrol does not believe they are a civilian law enforcement agency. They believe they are kin to the Marine Corps. They do not believe they are accountable to Congress, which is why they have no issues lying to them even while under oath.

They believe they are only accountable to … presidents like Trump. Border Patrol believes it is not required to answer to local police, FBI, CIA or any other law enforcement agency. They claim to be the “premiere” law enforcement agency, superior to all others. They say they will become a “national police force” to be used by a president to enforce laws even among citizens. (Italics are emphatically mine.)"

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. We need to address this situation as one of the top agenda items

that we have to deal with post-Trump. Completely overhaul the selection process for Customs and Border Patrol hires. No more fascists and yahoo's whose motivation isn't protecting our border, but their own personal racial animus. I want more Hispanic Americans hired in much greater numbers to deal with the refugee populations. And we need immigrants in the worst way to provide food security and build infrastructure (walls, even) along our coastal/river cities.

We cannot keep kicking the most important issues tothe future for our kids and grandkids to deal with .

[alwaysinasnit]

2. Totally agree, and we need a whole crapload of other reforms to repair our broken system of

government.

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. You betcha!

I wish all primary candidates would agree and issue a Declaration of Governing priorities.


*Customs/Border
* Continue Investigations into the Organized Crime Party
*Immigration (and why Immigrants are absolutely critical to our nation's future).
*Voting Systems and Voting Rights Reform.
*Healthcare / Medicare - Social Security
*Climate Change/Infrastructure
*Taxation Reform - To address all of the above.


It seems to me that they could all sign up for a minimum floor on all of these issues which fire up the base. A 3 page affirmation of general goals to build policy around, works for me. I need to know that I can expect at least a minimum effort on all issues from all candidates.

I'd sure like Senator Warren to be VP tasked with making this happen. The President will be busy performing reputation triage with our allies and trading partners.

[Leghorn21]

4. My #1 concern since day 1 of this nightmare: who will tell ICE and Border Patrol to

STAND

DOWN

?????

[alwaysinasnit]

5. I got nothing, except for the House to defund Dept. of Homeland Security. (I always thought that

name, DHS, sounds very Nazi-ish.)