The US is building a Gulag Archipelago of detention centers across the United States. Today they are for migrant detention. Are there perhaps longer term plans?
The US has just closed the El Paso airport for 10 days for "security reasons" that are unspecified at this point. Is this perhaps because of an impending military action in Mexico, or in preparation for a future domestic action?
The US has seized ballots and voter information in Georgia. Is this a one-off or part of preparation for a future action?
My hackles are raised. Nothing about this is "normal."
And now "just like that" -- less than 10 hours later, the FAA says there is no emergency in El Paso and it's all back to smiley-faced business as usual.
As with the Epstein mess, 'nuthin' to see here folks, let's move along now. Be good little dweezils and get a move on...' Somebody quick make a hit song....stand back, Marty Robbins, it ain't the 'Streets of Laredo' but the 'Skies of El Paso.' 🤪
Thomas Moore, yes, there is no doubt that with the extremely high capacity of accommodation in each existing detention facility or prison camp, and the numerous attempts so far to purchase specific additional large buildings for the same intent, the person’s purpose is to lock up far more people than immigrants and far more than the obvious people whose skin colors do not appeal to him. Everyone must be aware. We were told in 2015 that he considers anyone who disagrees with him and anyone who does not vote for him an enemy. It is imperative that Americans see the truth of the plan and take proper action to prevent the travesties.
I love your premise that there will be “an after this” yet Americans sure haven’t been roused out of whatever stupor they are in to get enraged about Concentration Camps in America. At least I haven’t viewed that ire and angst. We do need vast reforms, we do need to remove Noem, we do need to call our Members of Congress no matter their political affiliation and let them know “Stop ICE, Remove Noem”for starters. Actually we need 5000 people to make that call to 202-224-3121 to gain ANY Power. I can’t seem to find 5000 people willing to give 35 seconds to make that call. Calls are counted even if you speak to a machine. As for me, I call almost daily because I care and because the current treatment of immigrants is evil and wrong and anti-American. Redo the DHS? Absolutely needed. But first we have to win this battle and that can only happen because of you and you and you and….Stop the torture. Unite.
Karen, you are so right about the calls being counted and the definite need for each of us to take action now! I must step up the calling, and I hope everyone will. Thank you so much for all you do, and thank you for the crucial reminder!
Also, by calling after hours, Megan Rothery has shared that we can leave messages even if we live in different zip codes that a legislator represents. She has made a spreadsheet of all legislators’ phone numbers.
We managed just fine for around 230 years without DHS and ICE and the unPATRIOTic Act. I'm fine with rolling back these entirely anathema constructs to the idea of a constitutional republic under the rule of law.
The long term plan shouldn’t be reform of ICE/CBP, but for comprehensive immigration reform. We’ve been learning of a myriad of processes which look a lot like “bandaids” on dysfunctional parts of the current laws. Comprehensive reform is the answer
This is a bit of a curious article from Rubin. She makes many good points but her points don't really fit her conclusion.
She asks "What meaningful reforms can they get passed in the short run to save lives", instead of pushing to outright abolish ICE (and Border Control) as it exists now, an organization that she correctly describes as 'so deformed, and its ranks are riddled with abusive, lawless, emotionally and ethically unfit characters' ... but the she gives little reason to think even piecemeal reforms can be passed.
In short, she doesn't really seem to believe herself that even these 'short run' reforms have much of a chance, and for good reason: the GOP has shown no interest so far in even the most conservative, common sense restrictions on ICE or Border Control.
She correctly states that "whatever specific reforms they can obtain are useless without enforcement in a regime that brazenly breaks the law" and that "any rule mechanism that depends on internal action, oversight, reporting, auditing, etc., is useless in a regime that operates in bad faith".
If this is all true, why even bother to start out from a compromised position? Why not start with the primary goal and then negotiate? Democrats have had a habit of negotiating against themselves in the past , and it usually does not work. The Laken Riley Act was one example.
(EDIT- Another good reason to not compromise at the outset it, 'reforms' like these will likely blunt the efforts for real, fundamental change to these deeply corrupt agencies.)
Not an election. It takes jujitsu to get consensus in Congress, and that takes Republicans. IMHO you have no clue.
Yesterday, Republicans Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Don Bacon of Nebraska and Kevin Kiley of California joined the Dems, after Republicans had sought for the third time this congressional term to use a procedural trick to bend the rules of time, turning months into a single day in the interest of avoiding a tariff vote.
I still think that Epstein files is their Achilles heel. As of last night, Massie, and several others remain persistant. IMHO therere are layers of culpability:
1. Rapists.
2. Pimps.
3. Those who knew or had reason to know that Epstein ran his operation on the honeypot, yet did business and even invested with him had his fellow conspirators, i.e. Lutnick et al.
4. Obstruction of justice. Ironically when Trump # 45 "investigated," it tracked people like Julie Brown and the Miami Herald!
Although Trump claims ignorance, an FBI document just released summarizing a 2019 interview with former Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter, Donald Trump told police in 2006 that Jeffrey Epstein was engaged in "disgusting" behavior, identified Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein's "operative," and described her as "evil".
2 of 3 MAGA reps here in Baghdad By the Sea now oppose Trump immigration policy, but that's not the same as the ICE issue. Yesterday, tariffs. In terms of probablity of success, it's possible we could have a new speaker via Epstein...other issues not so much.
Yes, I know you have been strung out on hopium that the Epstein files will be that will be The Big Thing that will bring down Trump , and you post about it nearly daily.
It has been a full year since those 'influencers' paraded around the fake folder, but to date, there has been zero accountability from anyone in Trump's admin.
In fact, the only tangible impacts so far in the US has been to Trump critics, like Margorie Taylor-Greene, whose resignation was related to her criticism, or 'centrist' scummy Democrats like Larry Summers.
Those women deserve justice, and it's worth pursuing....but thinking that will be the thing after all to bring down Trump is wishful thinking.
Did everyone just forget Trump was elected after literally being found liable for sexual abuse in civil court? or the million other allegations of sexual abuse by Trump, including his relationship with Epstein, that has been public info for many years?
Progressive candidate Analilia Mejia just won in a big upset in the Democratic congressional primary race in New Jersey largely on her position to abolish ICE, as opposed to her more centrists (and much more well known) candidates who called instead for reforms:
Without the votes in the house and senate or control of either body, the Dems' options are limited. Right now. That could all change in November, but the current CR on DHS runs out in a couple of days. The Dems have to play the game they're in now, not the one they hope for in November.
This isn't about the election. I explained clearly my point here. Rubin makes it clear in her piece she doesn't even see much hope in even the most basic reforms being passed. The Dems options are limited yes - there is barely a chance of passing even these small reforms, so it makes no sense to negotiate away before even starting, particularly when Democrats have the clear advantage now.
I think Jen Rubin is being clear-eyed about the chances for reform under the current circumstances. The Dems don't appear to be negotiating away their leverage; rather, for once, they're standing strong. For now.
And yes, true reform will require a change of leadership that can only come through an election.
Dems are unified against ICE generally, but there is plenty of disagreement among Dems in Congress on how 'strong' to stand. There are plenty of Dems in Congress pushing to abolish ICE altogether, and they have strong support from Democratic voters. See the poll I linked.
Again, Rubin (correctly) states that 'whatever specific reforms they can obtain are useless without enforcement in a regime that brazenly breaks the law'...so how does compromising the stance at the outset to fight for reforms that won't be enforced make sense?
The 'reform' being pushed to enforce body camera use' the only 'reform ' I have seen get even a tiny bit of GOP support, is an example of the real absurdity here.
How on earth will body cameras make a difference to an agency that is already filmed all the time, and that the entire world has seen openly kill innocent people, with not even a tiny bit of consequence for the murdering agents or their superiors, besides a token reassignment or two...?
Not only that, we have even see the killers themselves record their own actions and post them themselves! Not to mention, again, that this won't be enforced even if passed...and there's always the excuses that the camera malfunctioned, or just outright ignoring any subpoena or FOIL request ...
and it's worse than that really, because these 'reforms' will only serve to blunt the push for real, fundamental change....all while doing next to nothing to protect anyone, as Rubin all but admits,.
We get it, Jason. You don't agree with Jen Rubin's take on this issue. Yay. You're entitled to your opinion.
The ONLY way fundamental reforms will be put in place is if/when the Dems retake control of both the house and senate. That's the only way to put real teeth into the necessary reforms of DHS/CBP/ICE. After the abuses by this administration, nobody in his right mind believes that real reforms aren't coming. But it's up to all of us to make sure we elect people with the backbone to carry them through. In the meantime, all we can do is hope the Dems are smart enough to use what leverage they have.
You have repeated yourself several times. You also chose to respond to my comment, then get snarky when I respond in turn. If you don't want a response, don't start a conversation by responding to someone else's comment.
If you actually thoroughly read my comment (unlike you, I actually quote the article several times) I actually agree with nearly everything Rubin says. She is quite clearly only slightly convinced of her own conclusion, as she makes clear, for the good reasons she herself gives.
'All we can do is hope the Dems are smart enough to use what leverage they have' is exactly what I am saying.
From the day that Bush and his crew established this new department and labeled it "Homeland Security" it smelled like old Germany! I thought at the time that it was a strange name for the HS, and now we see what he and the others at that time had in mind! Now we have the Dept. of War, not Defense. Until we realize that this is a planned attack, and has been formally in the making since Reagan, we will miss opportunities to even begin to stop this process.
The purchase of the Dominion voting machine company to a Right Wing Republican, backed by Republican financiers, the attacks and removal of voting cards and other information taking place in Georgia by Tulsi Gabbard, and the call for national control of elections (even though that is not legal) is the next step in their plan.
But, how do we combat this incursion when we cannot even get the States to stand up to ICE, even if they must break the law to do so? They can mandate protections from State and loacl police, and arrest these guys! They can force a standoff that would have to go to the Courts! But we in America remain unable to find the strength nor the recognition that by their remaining bystanders, they are supporting the criminals and losing our democracy.
There aren’t enough votes in the current congress to abolish ICE and reform DHS. That’s why we must get out and VOTE in enough numbers to negate the voter suppression we will see in the midterms.
Then, if we can take back control of the House and maybe the senate, there could be an effort to make meaningful change.
For now, the best we can do is get some important but stop-gap accountability.
I doubt that either would have solved or prevented any of the issues surrounding the (German) Gestapo, the SS, or the guards at places like Auschwitz or Dachau.
No, the cultural rot is simply too far advanced for any treatment except complete removal.
The Fifth Circuit is what happens when the law is politicized. It isn't the law anymore. It is just politics. Lawyers for political actors here start with the political outcome they want to achieve, then backfill their briefs with bad faith legal sophistry just to make it look good. Because they know the Fifth Circuit will look at the political outcome presented, approve that outcome and legitimize their bad faith legal argumentation.
I have a personal anecdote supporting my thesis. I sat in a Commissioners Court (County governing body) public meeting in Tarrant County, Texas to oppose the proposed and extremely unnecessary mid-cycle redistricting. The reasons for this were purely partisan. The population and racial balance of the existing districts was perfectly balanced and shaped in four compact squares.
However, the partisan actors on the court proposed to redistrict simply to create a Republican advantage. They did this because the S.Ct. ruled partisan gerrymanders are fine. And, boy did they go with that. The audience was overwhelmingly against the gerrymander. We assertively voiced our opposition without ever breaking decorum. But, my county commissioner had enough of the clapping for our side and told us to stop. He went further and, using his bully boy voice, growled at us that they were going to push this through whether we liked it or not and the Fifth Circuit would back them. The point was we needed to pipe down and recognize when we were beaten because he controlled the court and we didn't.
Of course, he was correct. However, politics finds a way. The same people he growled at just got Taylor Rehmet elected. On the other hand, why should the Republican party of Texas have the unfair advantage of a politically partisan court backing whatever power play Republicans concoct?
Footnote: This stuff has an impact on the rest of the country too. The Tarrant County redistrict was the blueprint for and used the same Republican operatives for the state gerrymander to give Trump five more House seats. But, again, politics isn't over here. See, e.g. Texas Democrats denying the quorum and igniting Blue states to check Trump's gerrymander. Then, there is also the fact that within Texas, Republicans made many more districts competitive for Democrats. See, again, Taylor Rehmet.
That's right. We must remind people the constitution is on our side. Trump and his quislings in Congress are dead wrong about the meaning of the constitution. Texans are Texans, even if we are Democrats. We do not go down without a fight. And, we will fight just for the sport of it. I have to say, it really feels good. That win for Taylor was a beautiful thing. We want more. There was a little pause and now its on to the mid-terms. Abbott and Patrick are on the ballot. And with Paxton trying to become senator, the AG office is up for grabs.
The best way to limit the justifiable size of ICE is to grant amnesty and legal status (though not necessarily citizenship) to uninvited immigrants who entered the United States prior to the Biden presidency and have lived peaceful lives here ever since. I believe that a large majority of the American people would support this...large enough to pressure Congress to pass such a law.
"After this battle, Democrats must begin to develop a plan for a wholesale redesign of DHS, relegation of Border Control to the border, and creation of a new internal border enforcement force."
The PLAN needs to be much more comprehensive than merely reforming DHS. We need to be prepared with an all-encompassing plan for how we keep these travesties in all areas from happening again. The most important (to me) right now is how we prevent the regime from interfering with free and fair elections in November, but we also need to be focused on major reforms following the next two elections.
Guys who drive around in unmarked vehicles, in masks, no badges, who don't identify themselves should not be considered "federal agents." They are lawless brigands by definition.
It’s good that the Dems have finally “realized” that the full 2025 Project is truly being forced upon us. But they’re still just reacting to the murders, beatings, torture, illegal arrests and detentions and more. When what they need to do is develop and announce an aggressive, proactive plan going forward to protect us and our country.
Always remember that bait and switch is an effective scamming technique. Once you have established that some nasty trick can be used in one context, it can then be switched to another purpose. Just examine how the fourth Amendment is being vacated by the case in the Fifth Circuit. If due process can be denied to anyone, it can be denied to everyone. If that decision stands on appeal to the full court (and SCOTUS) then ICE doesn't need any warrant to pick up anyone and detain them without access to a phone or lawyer for as long as they want. It was never really about the worst of the worst illegal aliens! It was about setting up total population control and voiding the right to challenge actions in court.
The US is building a Gulag Archipelago of detention centers across the United States. Today they are for migrant detention. Are there perhaps longer term plans?
The US has just closed the El Paso airport for 10 days for "security reasons" that are unspecified at this point. Is this perhaps because of an impending military action in Mexico, or in preparation for a future domestic action?
The US has seized ballots and voter information in Georgia. Is this a one-off or part of preparation for a future action?
My hackles are raised. Nothing about this is "normal."
Resist depraved, demented, shambolic MAGA gangster grifter authoritarianism! Vote Sane #VoteBlue!
Spot on, Joseph. The only sane vote is for Democratic and left-leaning independents. Republicans are almost exclusively Trump enablers!
And now "just like that" -- less than 10 hours later, the FAA says there is no emergency in El Paso and it's all back to smiley-faced business as usual.
As with the Epstein mess, 'nuthin' to see here folks, let's move along now. Be good little dweezils and get a move on...' Somebody quick make a hit song....stand back, Marty Robbins, it ain't the 'Streets of Laredo' but the 'Skies of El Paso.' 🤪
Here is the latest on the El Paso Airport Closure/Opening. There seem to be competing narratives:
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/11/el-paso-air-space-closed-faa/?utm_source=thetexastribune.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=breaking-news-faa-closed-el-paso-airspace-over-impasse-with-the-defense-dept-s-use-of-drones&_bhlid=e0e86622793f2a2b4b9752f7f937822e3fb3844c
Good article. Thank you. I know which narrative is most accurate.....certainly not the narrative of the "DOW."
As a retired airline supervisor, my reaction is headdesk. 🙇♂️ WTF were they thinking?
Thomas Moore, yes, there is no doubt that with the extremely high capacity of accommodation in each existing detention facility or prison camp, and the numerous attempts so far to purchase specific additional large buildings for the same intent, the person’s purpose is to lock up far more people than immigrants and far more than the obvious people whose skin colors do not appeal to him. Everyone must be aware. We were told in 2015 that he considers anyone who disagrees with him and anyone who does not vote for him an enemy. It is imperative that Americans see the truth of the plan and take proper action to prevent the travesties.
I love your premise that there will be “an after this” yet Americans sure haven’t been roused out of whatever stupor they are in to get enraged about Concentration Camps in America. At least I haven’t viewed that ire and angst. We do need vast reforms, we do need to remove Noem, we do need to call our Members of Congress no matter their political affiliation and let them know “Stop ICE, Remove Noem”for starters. Actually we need 5000 people to make that call to 202-224-3121 to gain ANY Power. I can’t seem to find 5000 people willing to give 35 seconds to make that call. Calls are counted even if you speak to a machine. As for me, I call almost daily because I care and because the current treatment of immigrants is evil and wrong and anti-American. Redo the DHS? Absolutely needed. But first we have to win this battle and that can only happen because of you and you and you and….Stop the torture. Unite.
Karen, you are so right about the calls being counted and the definite need for each of us to take action now! I must step up the calling, and I hope everyone will. Thank you so much for all you do, and thank you for the crucial reminder!
Also, by calling after hours, Megan Rothery has shared that we can leave messages even if we live in different zip codes that a legislator represents. She has made a spreadsheet of all legislators’ phone numbers.
I will try to add that next.
I called the Whitehouse, my 2 Democrat senators, and my repug representative today and listed a lot of changes to make ICE follow laws.
Kudos!!<Standing ovation! 👏👏👏👏👏Make it a habit! Be Powerful!
We managed just fine for around 230 years without DHS and ICE and the unPATRIOTic Act. I'm fine with rolling back these entirely anathema constructs to the idea of a constitutional republic under the rule of law.
The long term plan shouldn’t be reform of ICE/CBP, but for comprehensive immigration reform. We’ve been learning of a myriad of processes which look a lot like “bandaids” on dysfunctional parts of the current laws. Comprehensive reform is the answer
Oh, and remove Immigration from the anti-terrorism department.
This is a bit of a curious article from Rubin. She makes many good points but her points don't really fit her conclusion.
She asks "What meaningful reforms can they get passed in the short run to save lives", instead of pushing to outright abolish ICE (and Border Control) as it exists now, an organization that she correctly describes as 'so deformed, and its ranks are riddled with abusive, lawless, emotionally and ethically unfit characters' ... but the she gives little reason to think even piecemeal reforms can be passed.
In short, she doesn't really seem to believe herself that even these 'short run' reforms have much of a chance, and for good reason: the GOP has shown no interest so far in even the most conservative, common sense restrictions on ICE or Border Control.
She correctly states that "whatever specific reforms they can obtain are useless without enforcement in a regime that brazenly breaks the law" and that "any rule mechanism that depends on internal action, oversight, reporting, auditing, etc., is useless in a regime that operates in bad faith".
If this is all true, why even bother to start out from a compromised position? Why not start with the primary goal and then negotiate? Democrats have had a habit of negotiating against themselves in the past , and it usually does not work. The Laken Riley Act was one example.
Right now the Democrats have public opinion on their side...more people than ever want to abolish ICE. Recent polls show more people support abolishing ICE than not, including larger majorities of Democratic voters: https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/53939-more-americans-support-than-oppose-abolishing-ice-immigration-minneapolis-shooting-poll
Democrats should use their advantage here.
(EDIT- Another good reason to not compromise at the outset it, 'reforms' like these will likely blunt the efforts for real, fundamental change to these deeply corrupt agencies.)
Not an election. It takes jujitsu to get consensus in Congress, and that takes Republicans. IMHO you have no clue.
Yesterday, Republicans Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Don Bacon of Nebraska and Kevin Kiley of California joined the Dems, after Republicans had sought for the third time this congressional term to use a procedural trick to bend the rules of time, turning months into a single day in the interest of avoiding a tariff vote.
Got to do something similar re ICE.
F$cking Mike Johnson & those complicit, prone Republican (-3) HRs!!!!! Thank goodness the 3Rs stood up against it!
I still think that Epstein files is their Achilles heel. As of last night, Massie, and several others remain persistant. IMHO therere are layers of culpability:
1. Rapists.
2. Pimps.
3. Those who knew or had reason to know that Epstein ran his operation on the honeypot, yet did business and even invested with him had his fellow conspirators, i.e. Lutnick et al.
4. Obstruction of justice. Ironically when Trump # 45 "investigated," it tracked people like Julie Brown and the Miami Herald!
Although Trump claims ignorance, an FBI document just released summarizing a 2019 interview with former Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter, Donald Trump told police in 2006 that Jeffrey Epstein was engaged in "disgusting" behavior, identified Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein's "operative," and described her as "evil".
As usual, you remain obsessed with the Epstein files, and you barely even comment on the topic of the article.
If we want allies, Epstein is the key.
2 of 3 MAGA reps here in Baghdad By the Sea now oppose Trump immigration policy, but that's not the same as the ICE issue. Yesterday, tariffs. In terms of probablity of success, it's possible we could have a new speaker via Epstein...other issues not so much.
Yes, I know you have been strung out on hopium that the Epstein files will be that will be The Big Thing that will bring down Trump , and you post about it nearly daily.
It has been a full year since those 'influencers' paraded around the fake folder, but to date, there has been zero accountability from anyone in Trump's admin.
In fact, the only tangible impacts so far in the US has been to Trump critics, like Margorie Taylor-Greene, whose resignation was related to her criticism, or 'centrist' scummy Democrats like Larry Summers.
Those women deserve justice, and it's worth pursuing....but thinking that will be the thing after all to bring down Trump is wishful thinking.
Did everyone just forget Trump was elected after literally being found liable for sexual abuse in civil court? or the million other allegations of sexual abuse by Trump, including his relationship with Epstein, that has been public info for many years?
'IMHO' you don't say a single word to refute what I said.
More:
Progressive candidate Analilia Mejia just won in a big upset in the Democratic congressional primary race in New Jersey largely on her position to abolish ICE, as opposed to her more centrists (and much more well known) candidates who called instead for reforms:
https://prospect.org/2026/02/11/progressive-win-new-jersey-anti-ice-organizing-mejia/
There are also members of Congress calling not just to abolish ICE but to dismantle DHS entirely:
https://www.nprillinois.org/news/2026-02-11/an-illinois-congresswoman-wants-the-department-of-homeland-security-dismantled-first-listen
Without the votes in the house and senate or control of either body, the Dems' options are limited. Right now. That could all change in November, but the current CR on DHS runs out in a couple of days. The Dems have to play the game they're in now, not the one they hope for in November.
This isn't about the election. I explained clearly my point here. Rubin makes it clear in her piece she doesn't even see much hope in even the most basic reforms being passed. The Dems options are limited yes - there is barely a chance of passing even these small reforms, so it makes no sense to negotiate away before even starting, particularly when Democrats have the clear advantage now.
I think Jen Rubin is being clear-eyed about the chances for reform under the current circumstances. The Dems don't appear to be negotiating away their leverage; rather, for once, they're standing strong. For now.
And yes, true reform will require a change of leadership that can only come through an election.
Dems are unified against ICE generally, but there is plenty of disagreement among Dems in Congress on how 'strong' to stand. There are plenty of Dems in Congress pushing to abolish ICE altogether, and they have strong support from Democratic voters. See the poll I linked.
Again, Rubin (correctly) states that 'whatever specific reforms they can obtain are useless without enforcement in a regime that brazenly breaks the law'...so how does compromising the stance at the outset to fight for reforms that won't be enforced make sense?
The 'reform' being pushed to enforce body camera use' the only 'reform ' I have seen get even a tiny bit of GOP support, is an example of the real absurdity here.
How on earth will body cameras make a difference to an agency that is already filmed all the time, and that the entire world has seen openly kill innocent people, with not even a tiny bit of consequence for the murdering agents or their superiors, besides a token reassignment or two...?
Not only that, we have even see the killers themselves record their own actions and post them themselves! Not to mention, again, that this won't be enforced even if passed...and there's always the excuses that the camera malfunctioned, or just outright ignoring any subpoena or FOIL request ...
and it's worse than that really, because these 'reforms' will only serve to blunt the push for real, fundamental change....all while doing next to nothing to protect anyone, as Rubin all but admits,.
We get it, Jason. You don't agree with Jen Rubin's take on this issue. Yay. You're entitled to your opinion.
The ONLY way fundamental reforms will be put in place is if/when the Dems retake control of both the house and senate. That's the only way to put real teeth into the necessary reforms of DHS/CBP/ICE. After the abuses by this administration, nobody in his right mind believes that real reforms aren't coming. But it's up to all of us to make sure we elect people with the backbone to carry them through. In the meantime, all we can do is hope the Dems are smart enough to use what leverage they have.
When you say 'we get it', you mean 'I get it'.
You have repeated yourself several times. You also chose to respond to my comment, then get snarky when I respond in turn. If you don't want a response, don't start a conversation by responding to someone else's comment.
If you actually thoroughly read my comment (unlike you, I actually quote the article several times) I actually agree with nearly everything Rubin says. She is quite clearly only slightly convinced of her own conclusion, as she makes clear, for the good reasons she herself gives.
'All we can do is hope the Dems are smart enough to use what leverage they have' is exactly what I am saying.
Why wouldn't you want to abolish it completely?
From the day that Bush and his crew established this new department and labeled it "Homeland Security" it smelled like old Germany! I thought at the time that it was a strange name for the HS, and now we see what he and the others at that time had in mind! Now we have the Dept. of War, not Defense. Until we realize that this is a planned attack, and has been formally in the making since Reagan, we will miss opportunities to even begin to stop this process.
The purchase of the Dominion voting machine company to a Right Wing Republican, backed by Republican financiers, the attacks and removal of voting cards and other information taking place in Georgia by Tulsi Gabbard, and the call for national control of elections (even though that is not legal) is the next step in their plan.
But, how do we combat this incursion when we cannot even get the States to stand up to ICE, even if they must break the law to do so? They can mandate protections from State and loacl police, and arrest these guys! They can force a standoff that would have to go to the Courts! But we in America remain unable to find the strength nor the recognition that by their remaining bystanders, they are supporting the criminals and losing our democracy.
Is America already lost ? So many "citizens" voted for trump 3 X...
There aren’t enough votes in the current congress to abolish ICE and reform DHS. That’s why we must get out and VOTE in enough numbers to negate the voter suppression we will see in the midterms.
Then, if we can take back control of the House and maybe the senate, there could be an effort to make meaningful change.
For now, the best we can do is get some important but stop-gap accountability.
It’s sickening!! Right up there w/ the ruling from the 5th circuit court’s ruling!!!!!
see my comment above, I am wondering the same thing.
Reforms? Better Training??
I doubt that either would have solved or prevented any of the issues surrounding the (German) Gestapo, the SS, or the guards at places like Auschwitz or Dachau.
No, the cultural rot is simply too far advanced for any treatment except complete removal.
For-profit detention means that you need to continue adding people to get paid. It also involves cutting costs and such to keep your profits high.
We need to investigate the people running the concentration camps
The Fifth Circuit is what happens when the law is politicized. It isn't the law anymore. It is just politics. Lawyers for political actors here start with the political outcome they want to achieve, then backfill their briefs with bad faith legal sophistry just to make it look good. Because they know the Fifth Circuit will look at the political outcome presented, approve that outcome and legitimize their bad faith legal argumentation.
I have a personal anecdote supporting my thesis. I sat in a Commissioners Court (County governing body) public meeting in Tarrant County, Texas to oppose the proposed and extremely unnecessary mid-cycle redistricting. The reasons for this were purely partisan. The population and racial balance of the existing districts was perfectly balanced and shaped in four compact squares.
However, the partisan actors on the court proposed to redistrict simply to create a Republican advantage. They did this because the S.Ct. ruled partisan gerrymanders are fine. And, boy did they go with that. The audience was overwhelmingly against the gerrymander. We assertively voiced our opposition without ever breaking decorum. But, my county commissioner had enough of the clapping for our side and told us to stop. He went further and, using his bully boy voice, growled at us that they were going to push this through whether we liked it or not and the Fifth Circuit would back them. The point was we needed to pipe down and recognize when we were beaten because he controlled the court and we didn't.
Of course, he was correct. However, politics finds a way. The same people he growled at just got Taylor Rehmet elected. On the other hand, why should the Republican party of Texas have the unfair advantage of a politically partisan court backing whatever power play Republicans concoct?
Footnote: This stuff has an impact on the rest of the country too. The Tarrant County redistrict was the blueprint for and used the same Republican operatives for the state gerrymander to give Trump five more House seats. But, again, politics isn't over here. See, e.g. Texas Democrats denying the quorum and igniting Blue states to check Trump's gerrymander. Then, there is also the fact that within Texas, Republicans made many more districts competitive for Democrats. See, again, Taylor Rehmet.
Great comment. Keep pushing back! We have a Constitution and 250 years of history on our side.
That's right. We must remind people the constitution is on our side. Trump and his quislings in Congress are dead wrong about the meaning of the constitution. Texans are Texans, even if we are Democrats. We do not go down without a fight. And, we will fight just for the sport of it. I have to say, it really feels good. That win for Taylor was a beautiful thing. We want more. There was a little pause and now its on to the mid-terms. Abbott and Patrick are on the ballot. And with Paxton trying to become senator, the AG office is up for grabs.
The best way to limit the justifiable size of ICE is to grant amnesty and legal status (though not necessarily citizenship) to uninvited immigrants who entered the United States prior to the Biden presidency and have lived peaceful lives here ever since. I believe that a large majority of the American people would support this...large enough to pressure Congress to pass such a law.
this would be good, but I fear america's racism will get in the way
"After this battle, Democrats must begin to develop a plan for a wholesale redesign of DHS, relegation of Border Control to the border, and creation of a new internal border enforcement force."
The PLAN needs to be much more comprehensive than merely reforming DHS. We need to be prepared with an all-encompassing plan for how we keep these travesties in all areas from happening again. The most important (to me) right now is how we prevent the regime from interfering with free and fair elections in November, but we also need to be focused on major reforms following the next two elections.
Remove the masks, require ID for the agents, require body cameras, restore due process, etc.
Guys who drive around in unmarked vehicles, in masks, no badges, who don't identify themselves should not be considered "federal agents." They are lawless brigands by definition.
ZERO funding for CECOT-style concentration camps.
Yes, we must write our congressmen.
Can the ruling from the 5th circuit court be taken up on appeal???? This is so disgusting!!!!!
Yes. If this wasn't an opinion of the full court, it could be appealed for en banc ruling. Otherwise, it could go up to the Supreme Court.
It’s good that the Dems have finally “realized” that the full 2025 Project is truly being forced upon us. But they’re still just reacting to the murders, beatings, torture, illegal arrests and detentions and more. When what they need to do is develop and announce an aggressive, proactive plan going forward to protect us and our country.
Always remember that bait and switch is an effective scamming technique. Once you have established that some nasty trick can be used in one context, it can then be switched to another purpose. Just examine how the fourth Amendment is being vacated by the case in the Fifth Circuit. If due process can be denied to anyone, it can be denied to everyone. If that decision stands on appeal to the full court (and SCOTUS) then ICE doesn't need any warrant to pick up anyone and detain them without access to a phone or lawyer for as long as they want. It was never really about the worst of the worst illegal aliens! It was about setting up total population control and voiding the right to challenge actions in court.