Speaking of "official policy," is it Trump Administration policy for ICE agents to wear street clothes under flak vests and cover their faces like masked bandits while going out to make arrests? They look like street thugs!
Perhaps states should outlaw making arrests or detaining people while masked and out of official uniform or without showing proper ID badges. Agents masquerading as criminals should be treated as criminals! Anyone "caught" making such an arrest or detention should be routinely held without bail until their case can be tried in state court.
That, and Proud Boys, QAnon, Oath Keepers, militia members, KKK, neonazis, "Christian" Nationalists, etc.
I'm expecting that, sooner or later, they're going to run into someone(s) who are armed. With the amount of "disappearences," is statistically certain. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already.
Although even Hitler's Gestapo thugs had the balls NOT to wear masks. The orange felon's official thugs? No balls at all, just like the entire fascist congressional delegation.
I believe Democratic officials are attempting to insist on IDs, uniforms, and marked cars. I’m protesting at a local sheriff’s hangout this week to dissuade him from assisting ICE roundups. Can we create an alternate official policy?
There are also efforts in the House and senate on bills to mandate identification and banning the wearing of masks by federal law enforcement, but of course they won't get a vote until after 2026, and even then only if there are enough Americans with the sense to give Democrats a majority in congress.
They may, but they're going to have to get bigger. I've been out and I'll be out at the rallies, I support the lawsuits, and I'm in favor of a national strike, or at least cutting out all optional spending for those for whom a strike is beyond their means. It will take every lever at our disposal to force change.
Sorry, SI, as far as I know, fascists do not ever back down. Adolf Hitler drafted Mein Kampf while in prison. The only way I know of to stop them is to shoot them! As a practicing Buddhist, I do not condone shooting anyone, but that seems to be the only way to make fascists stop.
Gulags, Gitmo, Alligator Alcatraz, Southern Sudan, chemical castration, and Ships of Fools might make a dent in their ability to breed or infect others but it might be less cruel (Buddhist sensibility!) to shoot them. They are obviously very miserable human beings.
You can't create any kind (alternate or otherwise) of official policy unless you are an official. At present most of the officials are MAGA cultists. Those who aren't are hiding under their desks.
Some Democrats remain on important committees, and what many can do and have done is delay, obstruct, and expose Trump corruption. It’s not enough, but it will be soon.
Some of them are border patrol, whose target population are dangerous drug and human traffickers, whose own actions can require the type of rough behavior we witness. They are NOT trained in locating and arresting people who are here illegally (which, btw, is only a misdemeanor & handled much differently). Many ICE working this detail have confessed that they do NOT like the assignment OR the way they are required to behave, stating, it's NOT what they signed up for.
Well, they COULD look for a career change! It takes a world-class whimp to go to a job where you don't like what you're doing. In my more than a half-century working career, I recall a couple of times when I've found myself doing something I didn't like. What I do NOT recall is ever going back the next day! Of course, any time I found myself ashamed of what I was asked to do, I pulled a Nancy Reagan and Just Said No. Best to walk away immediately!
Anyone who enters a community in a mask, in an unmarked car, without legal identification as an official and without an official court mandate to detain or arrest a person, is an intruder, a kidnapper, a possible human trafficker, NOT an ICE agent or any other governmental official.
Their actions are not immigration sweeps; they are aiding and abetting kidnapping, torture and possible human trafficking.
Like so much of the projection vomited out by this regime, the vast majority of the disappeared by this regime are not "illegal" because of their lack of documentation or criminal actions. The illegality of this entire episode of our history is fully incorporated in the regime and their hired Gestapo (private militias, bounty hunters, pardoned J'ers, private detention center employees and contractors and some of the government employees of ICE, HSI and Border Patrol).
These countries “housing” the evacuees are being paid immense amounts of money so quite willing to agree to take these frightened people in! The plan is to hold them forever? No law and justice at the other end?
They are just that, street thugs. These punks are private security not actually cops of any kind. The same thing Bush used in Iraq. Private security who beat, raped and killed at will.
Netanyahu and the Israeli government do not only take 'deliberate steps to restrict food '.
The state of Israel is actively massacring unarmed, starving civilians every day, with the bipartisan support of the US.
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Human rights organizations and genocide scholars the world over have all reached this conclusion. The Contrarian should state this as well.
Israel is now planning to completely take over all of Gaza, and the Knesset has already voted to annex the West Bank, all made possible by the ongoing financial and military support from the US under both Biden and Trump.
It is past time the US and Israeli officials that have made these war crimes possible are held accountable by media outlets like The Contrarian. It is not only the indicted war criminal Netanyahu who is responsible.
I have posted this partial list of people and organizations that have already affirmed that Israel is committing genocide, I will do it again here for Contrarian readers:
Human Rights Organizations:
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
University Network for Human Rights
B’Tselem - Israel
Physicians for Human Rights - Israel
Genocide Scholars and Experts:
Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Omer Bartov, Israeli-American professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University
Amos Goldberg, Israeli professor in the Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a fellow of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
Raz Segal, Israeli historian and associate professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and endowed professor in the Study of Modern Genocide at Stockton University
Shmuel Lederman, professor specializing in political theory and genocide studies at the Open University of Israel
Melanie O'Brien, president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars
Martin Shaw, emeritus professor of International Relations and Politics at the University of Sussex, research professor at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals, and author of War and Genocide, What is Genocide, Genocide in International Relations
William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom, professor of international human law and human rights at Leiden University in the Netherlands, and author of several books on international law, including Genocide in International Law: The Crimes of Crimes
Dirk Moses, international relations professor at the City College of New York and author of The Problems of Genocide
Daniel Blatman, Israeli historian specializing in the history of the Holocaust and head of the Institute for Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Lee Mordechai, Israeli historian and associate professor at Hebrew University
Uğur Ümit Üngör, professor of Genocide Studies at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies and the University of Amsterdam
Read that list above, again. Israel is committing genocide right now, today, and people all over the world understand this. Many of those organizations and individuals are Israeli.
The standard 'noun+ verb + Hamas' response from defenders of Israeli apartheid and terror can't deflect from the brazen daily atrocities happening right now.
The starving, unarmed civilians that are gunned down every day by IDF troops and US mercenaries are not Hamas. The American recently beaten to death in the West Bank by a lynch mob of 'settlers', the activist shot by another 'settler' in broad daylight just days ago, the 1000+ people killed in the West Bank over the past 20 months, have zero to do with Hamas. The 20,000 children killed in Gaza by either bombs, bullets, starvation or disease were not Hamas.
The largest number of child amputees anywhere in the world in the 21st century were not made that way by Hamas. The largest number of journalists murdered anywhere in the world in the 21st century were not murdered by Hamas.
Talib. Seriously. She who says “From the river to the sea . . .” She wants Israel demolished. And as much as I like AOC she hasn’t the backbone to acknowledge that Hamas are terrorists. The horrific losses in Gaza are a direct consequence of Hamas’ actions. You’ll recall Sinwar saying he didn’t care if 100,000 Gazans died as long as the fight against Israel continued. Hamas embeds itself in the civilian population and attacks Israel and the IDF with a human shield. Their tactics are cowardly and disgusting.
I do not condone the behavior of the far-right settlers, nor unwarranted attacks by the IDF. This needs to end. What I expect from Contrarians is an in-depth unbiased look at all sides of the conflict. I expect statists that are not provided by a terrorist organization and I expect an analysis of the impact of Hamas on prolonging this war.
Kathy Champine, you can do better. Please acknowledge what the original impetus for the founding of Hamas was, and tell me that they alone should bear the blame for what's happening. And Hamas does not have the backing of a mighty, wealthy superpower (that would be the US) as Israel has. Genocide against Jews by Hamas simply is not a possibility.
Hamas was created with the goal of annihilating Israel. They were incensed when the PLO entered a peace process with Israel allowing the Palestinian /authority to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza. (Hmmmm, doesn’t fit your narrative, does it?)
Hamas is backed and funded by Iran, they also receive support from Qatar, Turkey, Syria (until 2024) and Lebanon.
Scroll through this link for former and current Jewish populations in the Middle East: https://democracychronicles.org/jewish-exodus-map/. Jews have been expelled or murdered from Muslim countries surrounding Israel. This is what genocide looks like.
I guess you just skipped over the several aid organizations , including a couple based in Israel, and the dozen+ genocide scholars, including several Israelis, so you could post some garbage about Rashida Tlaib wanting to “demolish” Israel?
You know who has been saying “ from the river to the Sea” for nearly 50 years? Netanyahu’s Likud Party.
This is from their charter:
“between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.”
“the establishment of a "Palestinian State," … endangers the existence of the State of Israel.”
That was written a decade before Hamas existed.
And, you can read about Israel’s use of Palestinian human shields in these reports from Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. Like every other war crime Israel commits with impunity, the IDF has been doing this for decades.
You might also read this article, - this was reported widely yesterday....even former Israeli officials are less hawkish than the 'centrists' of The Contrarian:
'A group of some 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, have written to US President Donald Trump to pressure Israel to immediately end the war in Gaza.
"It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the officials said.'
Um, the BBC is only reporting on a public statement made by 600 former Israeli officials. This was reported all over the place. Does reporting on an easily verified public document make an outlet “antisemitic”?
And posting a tweet from the IDF, the military that is currently committing genocide, as a way to “prove” your point is pure comedy.
Hamas was created in reaction to Israel's illegal military occupations of Gaza and the West Bank. Until these occupations are addressed, ENDED, no anti-Hamas propaganda has validity.
Oh, for crying out loud. Israel left Gaza in 2005. They removed all civilians and abandoned all farms, vineyards, etc. Since then Hamas has invested billions in underground infrastructure for the sole purpose of destroying Israel. Think of Gaza would look like today if those donations had been invested in its inhabitants.
What happened in 2005 doesn't speak to Hamas's founding in 1988.
While the military's formal occupation was ended because Israel considered it too expensive, Gaza is still considered effectively under the control of Israel by international groups. Do you really consider Gaza a free, sovereign land controlling its own people and resources? I'm not sure there is any reasoning with a person so blinded by Israeli propaganda related to their response to October 7th.
Yes, even the US State Department considers Gaza as occupied territory.
Israel entirely controls all land sea and air access to Gaza (save at times one entry point to Egypt- even there Israel has effective control).
Gaza has no control over its borders, its trade, the travel of its residents, its telecommunications, its power… Israel has limited electrical power in Gaza from 2-4 hours commonly over the past two decades.
Gaza has been known as the world’s largest open air prison for a reason.
Israel has enforced an illegal blockade of goods entering Gaza for many years, which has included building supplies, many food items, medicines, toys, musical instruments and any number of other basic items.
And, of course, Gaza has been bombed and invaded by Israel many times before 2023. Israel has killed thousands of Gazans and maimed many thousands more before the past 22 months. Israel has destroyed Gazas hospitals, desalination plants, schools and public infrastructure repeatedly.
Israel has been strangling Gaza for generations. Now it has escalated to open genocide.
You really are brainwashed by IDF propaganda. You think Israel simply left Gaza alone in the last 20 years? That is such nonsense it’s not even worth debating.
And the West Bank , what is your excuse for Israel’s nonstop killing and theft there?
Since when do you suddenly care about “documentation”? You have blithely ignored or weakly dismissed post after post citing “documentation” that debunk your slew of lies and misinformation through this thread.
Until Hamas lays down arms and surrenders, Israel will continue militarily. If Hamas had released all the hostages years ago and stopped terrorizing Gaza civilians by killing anyone and everyone who even "dares" to oppose it, the current situation would not have come to pass. Israel cannot afford to have Hamas remain active. This is NOT an excuse for the plight of civilians. It is a window in how things come to pass.
So, you are justifying Israel’s wholesale, daily slaughter of unarmed starving civilians as it commits genocide - got it.
It’s not a “plight” - it is genocide, committed by Israel , which has been affirmed by human rights organizations, genocide scholars and historians, and governments around the world, including many from Israel.
Israel has been kidnapping and imprisoning Palestinian hostages from the Occupied Territories (and Lebanon, and Syria) for decades, throwing them into military gulags with no charges, no representation, no pretense of any rights.
These hostages are regularly tortured and sometimes killed. Many are children.
As most defenders of Israeli terrorism do, you do not mention the West Bank, which has nothing to do with Hamas. Israel’s apartheid regime has killed over 1000 Palestinians there in the past 22 months, maiming thousands more, while abducting many more and stealing land and homes constantly.
I am so sick of reading this nonsense from apologists for decades of Israeli apartheid and oppression and flagrant violations of international law.
The most common definition of terrorism is typically “The use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political goals.”
By this common definition, Netanyahu’s government, the IDF, and their proxy “settlers” are terrorists.
Netanyahu and his defense minister were indicted by the ICC for war crimes many months ago. They should be in prison.
For this we can thank Mehdi Hasan, who helped change the mind of the group's leader just days ago. Hasan's Substack, Zeteo, has been a fearless and consistent critic of Israel's crimes, and Hasan, unlike the Contrarian writers, has been more than willing to publicly debate supporters of Israel's actions often.
Netanyahu’s government has shown over and over they have zero interest in the Israeli or Palestinian hostages. Israel unilaterally ended a ceasefire this spring that would have freed them all. Israel sabotaged previous talks in the same manner.
Israel is committing genocide on a people it has already violently oppressed for generations. You have not acknowledged anything close to this.
Israel is murdering unarmed starving civilians every single day.
Israel has killed over 1000 people in the West Bank, which has absolutely nothing to do with Hamas, in the past 20 months.
This nonsense is past absurd, it is a sign of straight up delusion. It also shows you have not read or choose to ignore the many statements in this thread that prove how deeply your denial lies.
The whole of Gaza has been held hostage by Israel. If Hamas was trying to make that visible to the world by its hostage-taking, we ought to pay attention.
I am not surprised. Tom Malinowski's piece a week ago said basically the same thing.
It is amazing how The Contrarian's writers are able to deflect responsibility and focus on how this carnage is impacting Israelis, while often entirely ignoring Palestinians.
I have still not heard Norm Eisen even say the word "Palestinian' once over several 'Coffee' sessions.
It's really incredible considering how many Israeli former officials have said the war needs to end and that Hamas is no longer a factor. Supposed 'liberals' in the US are even more hawkish than former Mossad chiefs and Israeli defense ministers.
This was from just yesterday:
'A group of some 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, have written to US President Donald Trump to pressure Israel to immediately end the war in Gaza.
"It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the officials said.'
I don't know that this is entirely true, at least when regarding the Occupied Territories.
It is certainly true that Trump 'laps up flattery' and has been an abysmal leader and an all around horrible human being. The total damage he and his cabal have done to this country and the world is still not yet known. Biden obviously did many positive things during his term, unlike Trump.
But Biden is also culpable for Israel's carnage. Not only did he give crucial political and military support to Israel throughout his final 15 months in office (along with most, not all, elected national Democrats), he supported Israel's ongoing crimes throughout his term.
He did nothing when Israel killed more Palestinians in the West Bank in 2022 than it had in many years, outside of some tepid, toothless criticism here and there. He did nothing when Israel assassinated Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022. He did nothing when Israel bombed Gaza repeatedly during his term, and continued its strangling, illegal blockade. The US vetoed several UN resolutions against Israel under his watch.
When the ICC charged Netanyahu and his defense minister with war crimes, Biden called the charges 'outrageous', even thought the ICC also charged three Hamas leaders with war crimes. They are all dead now, while Netanyahu has been welcomes into the US several times since then.
I have read that career ICE agents, those employed prior to the masked madmen are actually very dissatisfied. They no longer perform the important aspects of their job. Everything is about “the quota”.
These NO-NAME masked wonders are probably Jan 6 left-overs who were released from jails. Most definitely they are MAGAs hired to do the job, working against the morals and standards of our country. This does not solve problems or represent our nation!
What a horrid reputation America is facing around the World!
I’m glad for the court decision that ICE can’t detain people based on physical appearance. My question is - will ICE actually stop doing this? And if not what are the consequences? The despots ignore court decisions routinely. I would like to see consequences.
The following should happen at EVERY hearing before a judge regarding misconduct of the Trump regime: Judge to regime lawyer: "As there is a long history of regime lawyers reciting nonsense and denials, and you still insist on doing the same in my court, I immediately find you in contempt and you are sentenced to jail and a fine RIGHT NOW." In addition, bar associations around the country should take note of all such lawyers and begin immediately disbar proceedings. It is long past time to take these action as the Trump regime is going full speed ahead destroying the rule of law in our nation.
I suggest that everyone who is opposed to ICE click on the link Daniel has provided. At that link, scroll down to the bottom of the screen. On the left-hand side of the screen, click on "Search for ICE Jobs." There you will see the types of jobs for which the (t)Rump regime is seeking candidates and the salaries for each. When a job opening says, "Multiple Locations," that means that they have many, many openings around the country. These are our tax dollars at work in implementing one of the cruelest actions we have ever been asked to do in America, following slavery perpetuation and enforcement; stealing land from American Indians, their forced relocation to barren grounds; and the massacres of thousands who tried to defend their land; and the enforcement (legal or illegal) of Jim Crow laws. These actions by ICE agents will go down in history as another giant black mark on our history. Oh damn — I forgot, we are not allowed to teach real American history anymore, only the white-washed versions. And I do mean WHITE-WASHED!
I heard Defense Base Act and Service Contract Act cases when I was working, and,, in essence, we had a mercenary army in Iraq and Afghanistan and under GWB we privatized many government jobs.
You can find these jobs on general job boards like ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and LinkedIn, or through specialized government contracting sites like SAM.gov. A wide range of fields are available, from administrative and IT support to construction, logistics, and engineering.
Very helpful, Daniel! Before retiring, I worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and approximately 1/3 of the employees there were contractors (Contract-award preference was always given to small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses, so it was generally a good way to spread taxpayer dollars to deserving companies.) The contractors ran many of our necessary systems (e.g., IT and document clearance). I have heard from my previous colleagues that all contractors were immediately eliminated as soon as (t)Rump took office. A lot of good, honest workers were harmed, just the federal employees who were DOGED were; also, many of those contractors had been with CDC for their entire careers, and as employees, we depended on their expertise to keep our work flowing.
Jen Rubin , you are the real Cat’s Meow! You explain things the exact way it should be done for those idiots who think Trump has the Authoritarian brain to run the Country!!! It just baffle's me everyday to see how any of this Meanness can go on in this Precious Country of ours. And once all our Judges and our Supreme Court( scardicats), get their acts together, we’re going to have an even stronger Country than we had before!!!!!! Thank you Jen and the Judge for making my day!!!!!
Judge Reyes applied the duck test: If it looks like official policy, walks like official policy, and quacks like official policy, chances are it is official policy.
Rounding up people based on their skin color or the language they happen to be speaking at the time is illegal profiling. I have in-laws who speak fluent Chinese - can they (all native-born citizens) be rounded up for that?
I would imagine that if a few of these regime lawyers found themselves residing in cells, after being found in contempt, they might be more hesitant about spouting bs in court.
It's time judges cease with the outrage and start knocking heads.
It seems they're afraid to have their identities outed. Strange that the president who railed against the wearing of masks during Covid, wants his thugs to mask up so carefully.
Every so often, I check what's going on at Faux, and similarly used to do the same re orange rallies. At an early rally I watched (as many others did) the "candidate" - for no reason - throw out the reporter who had cerebral palsy, making physical fun of him at the same time. I believe that was the rally where he then also broadcast the message to police officers that when they arrest someone, they need to "rough 'em up a little". IDK why that didn't stop every single attendee and tv watcher from even THINKING about voting for someone so unnecessarily cruel and thug-ish. So aside from miller and homan, you can see where the abduction behavior is coming from...
Speaking of "official policy," is it Trump Administration policy for ICE agents to wear street clothes under flak vests and cover their faces like masked bandits while going out to make arrests? They look like street thugs!
Perhaps states should outlaw making arrests or detaining people while masked and out of official uniform or without showing proper ID badges. Agents masquerading as criminals should be treated as criminals! Anyone "caught" making such an arrest or detention should be routinely held without bail until their case can be tried in state court.
They look like “street thugs” because effectively they are. They’re the Felon-in-Chief’s “brown shirts.”
I'll bet that at least some of them are Jan 6th thugs.
That, and Proud Boys, QAnon, Oath Keepers, militia members, KKK, neonazis, "Christian" Nationalists, etc.
I'm expecting that, sooner or later, they're going to run into someone(s) who are armed. With the amount of "disappearences," is statistically certain. I'm surprised it hasn't happened already.
It's coming believe me.
While the Lord of the Lies masked shirts terrorize workers &. families of color, his Suits run his extortion rackets...
#Resist authoritarianism & #Vote Blue.
Absolutely!
And more, if possible.
Although even Hitler's Gestapo thugs had the balls NOT to wear masks. The orange felon's official thugs? No balls at all, just like the entire fascist congressional delegation.
pretty sure many of them are the Jan. 6 insurrectionists pardoned by youknowwho..
An unconventional, but effective job fair. The "applicants" have already aced the performance assessment.
no kidding
I believe Democratic officials are attempting to insist on IDs, uniforms, and marked cars. I’m protesting at a local sheriff’s hangout this week to dissuade him from assisting ICE roundups. Can we create an alternate official policy?
There is an active major lawsuit addressing this. It includes disallowing masks. Can't recall who filed it.
The 9th Circuit Court ruled against these so called ICE clowns wearing masks.
There are also efforts in the House and senate on bills to mandate identification and banning the wearing of masks by federal law enforcement, but of course they won't get a vote until after 2026, and even then only if there are enough Americans with the sense to give Democrats a majority in congress.
Still, protests may make the fascists back down. Let’s see.
They may, but they're going to have to get bigger. I've been out and I'll be out at the rallies, I support the lawsuits, and I'm in favor of a national strike, or at least cutting out all optional spending for those for whom a strike is beyond their means. It will take every lever at our disposal to force change.
Yes!
Sorry, SI, as far as I know, fascists do not ever back down. Adolf Hitler drafted Mein Kampf while in prison. The only way I know of to stop them is to shoot them! As a practicing Buddhist, I do not condone shooting anyone, but that seems to be the only way to make fascists stop.
Gulags, Gitmo, Alligator Alcatraz, Southern Sudan, chemical castration, and Ships of Fools might make a dent in their ability to breed or infect others but it might be less cruel (Buddhist sensibility!) to shoot them. They are obviously very miserable human beings.
Thank you for doing something.
You can't create any kind (alternate or otherwise) of official policy unless you are an official. At present most of the officials are MAGA cultists. Those who aren't are hiding under their desks.
Some Democrats remain on important committees, and what many can do and have done is delay, obstruct, and expose Trump corruption. It’s not enough, but it will be soon.
They are street thugs. I’ve nicknamed them the American Gestapo.
Some of them are border patrol, whose target population are dangerous drug and human traffickers, whose own actions can require the type of rough behavior we witness. They are NOT trained in locating and arresting people who are here illegally (which, btw, is only a misdemeanor & handled much differently). Many ICE working this detail have confessed that they do NOT like the assignment OR the way they are required to behave, stating, it's NOT what they signed up for.
Well, they COULD look for a career change! It takes a world-class whimp to go to a job where you don't like what you're doing. In my more than a half-century working career, I recall a couple of times when I've found myself doing something I didn't like. What I do NOT recall is ever going back the next day! Of course, any time I found myself ashamed of what I was asked to do, I pulled a Nancy Reagan and Just Said No. Best to walk away immediately!
They've already got their name. ICE now has the same sound as Ge Sta Po - Geheimnis Staats Polizei.
Anyone who enters a community in a mask, in an unmarked car, without legal identification as an official and without an official court mandate to detain or arrest a person, is an intruder, a kidnapper, a possible human trafficker, NOT an ICE agent or any other governmental official.
Their actions are not immigration sweeps; they are aiding and abetting kidnapping, torture and possible human trafficking.
Like so much of the projection vomited out by this regime, the vast majority of the disappeared by this regime are not "illegal" because of their lack of documentation or criminal actions. The illegality of this entire episode of our history is fully incorporated in the regime and their hired Gestapo (private militias, bounty hunters, pardoned J'ers, private detention center employees and contractors and some of the government employees of ICE, HSI and Border Patrol).
Call it what it is. Words matter.
Words do matter. Particular in lie detection.
They ARE street thugs.
…held without bail, in a foreign country that is itself in political turmoil.
These countries “housing” the evacuees are being paid immense amounts of money so quite willing to agree to take these frightened people in! The plan is to hold them forever? No law and justice at the other end?
Yeah. It seems to be Trump’s version of disappearing people. History will not be forgiving.
An additional thought: “forever” = as long as they can get away with it. Thankfully, so many of us are pushing back, in whatever way we can.
They are just that, street thugs. These punks are private security not actually cops of any kind. The same thing Bush used in Iraq. Private security who beat, raped and killed at will.
You mean like Due Process?? The very thing they are denying the immigrants who may or may not be “dangerous criminals”?
Top notch analysis. Many thanks.
Yes!
Netanyahu and the Israeli government do not only take 'deliberate steps to restrict food '.
The state of Israel is actively massacring unarmed, starving civilians every day, with the bipartisan support of the US.
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Human rights organizations and genocide scholars the world over have all reached this conclusion. The Contrarian should state this as well.
Israel is now planning to completely take over all of Gaza, and the Knesset has already voted to annex the West Bank, all made possible by the ongoing financial and military support from the US under both Biden and Trump.
It is past time the US and Israeli officials that have made these war crimes possible are held accountable by media outlets like The Contrarian. It is not only the indicted war criminal Netanyahu who is responsible.
I have posted this partial list of people and organizations that have already affirmed that Israel is committing genocide, I will do it again here for Contrarian readers:
Human Rights Organizations:
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
University Network for Human Rights
B’Tselem - Israel
Physicians for Human Rights - Israel
Genocide Scholars and Experts:
Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Omer Bartov, Israeli-American professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University
Amos Goldberg, Israeli professor in the Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a fellow of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute
Raz Segal, Israeli historian and associate professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and endowed professor in the Study of Modern Genocide at Stockton University
Shmuel Lederman, professor specializing in political theory and genocide studies at the Open University of Israel
Melanie O'Brien, president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars
Martin Shaw, emeritus professor of International Relations and Politics at the University of Sussex, research professor at the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals, and author of War and Genocide, What is Genocide, Genocide in International Relations
William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom, professor of international human law and human rights at Leiden University in the Netherlands, and author of several books on international law, including Genocide in International Law: The Crimes of Crimes
Dirk Moses, international relations professor at the City College of New York and author of The Problems of Genocide
Daniel Blatman, Israeli historian specializing in the history of the Holocaust and head of the Institute for Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Lee Mordechai, Israeli historian and associate professor at Hebrew University
Uğur Ümit Üngör, professor of Genocide Studies at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies and the University of Amsterdam
US politicians:
Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)
Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)
Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)
Summer Lee (D-Pa.)
Al Green (D-Tex.)
Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
John Garamendi (D-Calif.)
Hamas’s goal is to eradicate all Jews. Shall we address their attempts at genocide?
Read that list above, again. Israel is committing genocide right now, today, and people all over the world understand this. Many of those organizations and individuals are Israeli.
The standard 'noun+ verb + Hamas' response from defenders of Israeli apartheid and terror can't deflect from the brazen daily atrocities happening right now.
The starving, unarmed civilians that are gunned down every day by IDF troops and US mercenaries are not Hamas. The American recently beaten to death in the West Bank by a lynch mob of 'settlers', the activist shot by another 'settler' in broad daylight just days ago, the 1000+ people killed in the West Bank over the past 20 months, have zero to do with Hamas. The 20,000 children killed in Gaza by either bombs, bullets, starvation or disease were not Hamas.
The largest number of child amputees anywhere in the world in the 21st century were not made that way by Hamas. The largest number of journalists murdered anywhere in the world in the 21st century were not murdered by Hamas.
Talib. Seriously. She who says “From the river to the sea . . .” She wants Israel demolished. And as much as I like AOC she hasn’t the backbone to acknowledge that Hamas are terrorists. The horrific losses in Gaza are a direct consequence of Hamas’ actions. You’ll recall Sinwar saying he didn’t care if 100,000 Gazans died as long as the fight against Israel continued. Hamas embeds itself in the civilian population and attacks Israel and the IDF with a human shield. Their tactics are cowardly and disgusting.
I do not condone the behavior of the far-right settlers, nor unwarranted attacks by the IDF. This needs to end. What I expect from Contrarians is an in-depth unbiased look at all sides of the conflict. I expect statists that are not provided by a terrorist organization and I expect an analysis of the impact of Hamas on prolonging this war.
Contrarians, you can do better.
Kathy Champine, you can do better. Please acknowledge what the original impetus for the founding of Hamas was, and tell me that they alone should bear the blame for what's happening. And Hamas does not have the backing of a mighty, wealthy superpower (that would be the US) as Israel has. Genocide against Jews by Hamas simply is not a possibility.
Now even J Street has affirmed Israel is committing genocide.
Soon the only ones left who won’t admit this will be Contrarian writers and a few of its readers.
Hamas was created with the goal of annihilating Israel. They were incensed when the PLO entered a peace process with Israel allowing the Palestinian /authority to govern parts of the West Bank and Gaza. (Hmmmm, doesn’t fit your narrative, does it?)
Hamas is backed and funded by Iran, they also receive support from Qatar, Turkey, Syria (until 2024) and Lebanon.
Then there are the secret investment portfolios: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1817
Scroll through this link for former and current Jewish populations in the Middle East: https://democracychronicles.org/jewish-exodus-map/. Jews have been expelled or murdered from Muslim countries surrounding Israel. This is what genocide looks like.
I guess you just skipped over the several aid organizations , including a couple based in Israel, and the dozen+ genocide scholars, including several Israelis, so you could post some garbage about Rashida Tlaib wanting to “demolish” Israel?
You know who has been saying “ from the river to the Sea” for nearly 50 years? Netanyahu’s Likud Party.
This is from their charter:
“between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.”
“the establishment of a "Palestinian State," … endangers the existence of the State of Israel.”
That was written a decade before Hamas existed.
And, you can read about Israel’s use of Palestinian human shields in these reports from Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. Like every other war crime Israel commits with impunity, the IDF has been doing this for decades.
https://www.btselem.org/human_shields
Question: how many died at Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
I couldn't say of the top of my head,I am sure its in the hundreds of thousands when accounting for those who died after the initial blasts.
Why do you ask?
You might also read this article, - this was reported widely yesterday....even former Israeli officials are less hawkish than the 'centrists' of The Contrarian:
'A group of some 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, have written to US President Donald Trump to pressure Israel to immediately end the war in Gaza.
"It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the officials said.'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkznje8nz8o
The BBC is notoriously anti-semitic. You might read this article about their approach to reporting on Gaza:
https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/bbc-gaza-memo-leak
Hama looting food trucks: https://x.com/IDF/status/1950094080160997593
Um, the BBC is only reporting on a public statement made by 600 former Israeli officials. This was reported all over the place. Does reporting on an easily verified public document make an outlet “antisemitic”?
And posting a tweet from the IDF, the military that is currently committing genocide, as a way to “prove” your point is pure comedy.
Hamas was created in reaction to Israel's illegal military occupations of Gaza and the West Bank. Until these occupations are addressed, ENDED, no anti-Hamas propaganda has validity.
Oh, for crying out loud. Israel left Gaza in 2005. They removed all civilians and abandoned all farms, vineyards, etc. Since then Hamas has invested billions in underground infrastructure for the sole purpose of destroying Israel. Think of Gaza would look like today if those donations had been invested in its inhabitants.
What happened in 2005 doesn't speak to Hamas's founding in 1988.
While the military's formal occupation was ended because Israel considered it too expensive, Gaza is still considered effectively under the control of Israel by international groups. Do you really consider Gaza a free, sovereign land controlling its own people and resources? I'm not sure there is any reasoning with a person so blinded by Israeli propaganda related to their response to October 7th.
Yes, even the US State Department considers Gaza as occupied territory.
Israel entirely controls all land sea and air access to Gaza (save at times one entry point to Egypt- even there Israel has effective control).
Gaza has no control over its borders, its trade, the travel of its residents, its telecommunications, its power… Israel has limited electrical power in Gaza from 2-4 hours commonly over the past two decades.
Gaza has been known as the world’s largest open air prison for a reason.
Israel has enforced an illegal blockade of goods entering Gaza for many years, which has included building supplies, many food items, medicines, toys, musical instruments and any number of other basic items.
And, of course, Gaza has been bombed and invaded by Israel many times before 2023. Israel has killed thousands of Gazans and maimed many thousands more before the past 22 months. Israel has destroyed Gazas hospitals, desalination plants, schools and public infrastructure repeatedly.
Israel has been strangling Gaza for generations. Now it has escalated to open genocide.
You really are brainwashed by IDF propaganda. You think Israel simply left Gaza alone in the last 20 years? That is such nonsense it’s not even worth debating.
And the West Bank , what is your excuse for Israel’s nonstop killing and theft there?
at this point there is no defense of isrile......esp since they were aware the oct 7th attack was going to happen
Applying that argument to the US suggests we deserved Sept. 11 because we were aware that it would happen.
Please provide documentation of your assertion.
Since when do you suddenly care about “documentation”? You have blithely ignored or weakly dismissed post after post citing “documentation” that debunk your slew of lies and misinformation through this thread.
unguarded fence, lrg # of IDF on vaca, took hours to reach isrile cits hiding from hamas
Until Hamas lays down arms and surrenders, Israel will continue militarily. If Hamas had released all the hostages years ago and stopped terrorizing Gaza civilians by killing anyone and everyone who even "dares" to oppose it, the current situation would not have come to pass. Israel cannot afford to have Hamas remain active. This is NOT an excuse for the plight of civilians. It is a window in how things come to pass.
So, you are justifying Israel’s wholesale, daily slaughter of unarmed starving civilians as it commits genocide - got it.
It’s not a “plight” - it is genocide, committed by Israel , which has been affirmed by human rights organizations, genocide scholars and historians, and governments around the world, including many from Israel.
Israel has been kidnapping and imprisoning Palestinian hostages from the Occupied Territories (and Lebanon, and Syria) for decades, throwing them into military gulags with no charges, no representation, no pretense of any rights.
These hostages are regularly tortured and sometimes killed. Many are children.
As most defenders of Israeli terrorism do, you do not mention the West Bank, which has nothing to do with Hamas. Israel’s apartheid regime has killed over 1000 Palestinians there in the past 22 months, maiming thousands more, while abducting many more and stealing land and homes constantly.
I am so sick of reading this nonsense from apologists for decades of Israeli apartheid and oppression and flagrant violations of international law.
hamas/terrorists isrile/government
The most common definition of terrorism is typically “The use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political goals.”
By this common definition, Netanyahu’s government, the IDF, and their proxy “settlers” are terrorists.
Netanyahu and his defense minister were indicted by the ICC for war crimes many months ago. They should be in prison.
Thank you for those names.
You are welcome.
You can add the US self-described 'liberal Zionist' organization J Street to the list:
https://www.jta.org/2025/08/04/united-states/j-street-head-says-he-was-persuaded-by-arguments-that-israel-is-committing-genocide-in-gaza
For this we can thank Mehdi Hasan, who helped change the mind of the group's leader just days ago. Hasan's Substack, Zeteo, has been a fearless and consistent critic of Israel's crimes, and Hasan, unlike the Contrarian writers, has been more than willing to publicly debate supporters of Israel's actions often.
None of you who are writing against Israel have acknowledged the hostages. WTF is wrong with you?
Netanyahu’s government has shown over and over they have zero interest in the Israeli or Palestinian hostages. Israel unilaterally ended a ceasefire this spring that would have freed them all. Israel sabotaged previous talks in the same manner.
Israel is committing genocide on a people it has already violently oppressed for generations. You have not acknowledged anything close to this.
Israel is murdering unarmed starving civilians every single day.
Israel has killed over 1000 people in the West Bank, which has absolutely nothing to do with Hamas, in the past 20 months.
WTF is wrong with you?
Nothing is wrong with me. Hamas is committing genocide of its own people. They could end this war by releasing the hostages.
This nonsense is past absurd, it is a sign of straight up delusion. It also shows you have not read or choose to ignore the many statements in this thread that prove how deeply your denial lies.
The whole of Gaza has been held hostage by Israel. If Hamas was trying to make that visible to the world by its hostage-taking, we ought to pay attention.
What you say is important, but how does it pertain to the subject of Jennifer Rubin's article here? Just curious.
There is a section in the article about exactly this. I quoted a line from the piece in my first sentence.
Thank you for pointing it out. I need to read more carefully.
In last night's Roundup both guests, Tom Malinowski and Victoria Nuland, continued to cite October 7th as grounds for continuing US support of Israel.
I am not surprised. Tom Malinowski's piece a week ago said basically the same thing.
It is amazing how The Contrarian's writers are able to deflect responsibility and focus on how this carnage is impacting Israelis, while often entirely ignoring Palestinians.
I have still not heard Norm Eisen even say the word "Palestinian' once over several 'Coffee' sessions.
It's really incredible considering how many Israeli former officials have said the war needs to end and that Hamas is no longer a factor. Supposed 'liberals' in the US are even more hawkish than former Mossad chiefs and Israeli defense ministers.
This was from just yesterday:
'A group of some 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of intelligence agencies, have written to US President Donald Trump to pressure Israel to immediately end the war in Gaza.
"It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the officials said.'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkznje8nz8o
well, they are wrong
Biden hoped and worked for the best. Trump hopes for the worst, laps up flattery, and does no work at all.
I don't know that this is entirely true, at least when regarding the Occupied Territories.
It is certainly true that Trump 'laps up flattery' and has been an abysmal leader and an all around horrible human being. The total damage he and his cabal have done to this country and the world is still not yet known. Biden obviously did many positive things during his term, unlike Trump.
But Biden is also culpable for Israel's carnage. Not only did he give crucial political and military support to Israel throughout his final 15 months in office (along with most, not all, elected national Democrats), he supported Israel's ongoing crimes throughout his term.
He did nothing when Israel killed more Palestinians in the West Bank in 2022 than it had in many years, outside of some tepid, toothless criticism here and there. He did nothing when Israel assassinated Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022. He did nothing when Israel bombed Gaza repeatedly during his term, and continued its strangling, illegal blockade. The US vetoed several UN resolutions against Israel under his watch.
When the ICC charged Netanyahu and his defense minister with war crimes, Biden called the charges 'outrageous', even thought the ICC also charged three Hamas leaders with war crimes. They are all dead now, while Netanyahu has been welcomes into the US several times since then.
ICE agents were corrupted. Trump and his minions will to defend MAGA base
I have read that career ICE agents, those employed prior to the masked madmen are actually very dissatisfied. They no longer perform the important aspects of their job. Everything is about “the quota”.
Plus Stephen Miller’s assignments!
These NO-NAME masked wonders are probably Jan 6 left-overs who were released from jails. Most definitely they are MAGAs hired to do the job, working against the morals and standards of our country. This does not solve problems or represent our nation!
What a horrid reputation America is facing around the World!
I’m glad for the court decision that ICE can’t detain people based on physical appearance. My question is - will ICE actually stop doing this? And if not what are the consequences? The despots ignore court decisions routinely. I would like to see consequences.
The following should happen at EVERY hearing before a judge regarding misconduct of the Trump regime: Judge to regime lawyer: "As there is a long history of regime lawyers reciting nonsense and denials, and you still insist on doing the same in my court, I immediately find you in contempt and you are sentenced to jail and a fine RIGHT NOW." In addition, bar associations around the country should take note of all such lawyers and begin immediately disbar proceedings. It is long past time to take these action as the Trump regime is going full speed ahead destroying the rule of law in our nation.
How do ice agents get hired? What is pay and what is bonus situation?
Look at the link Daniel Solomon posted below. ICE jobs are astoundingly well-paid. No wonder these thugs are so eager to do the president's bidding.
https://www.usajobs.gov/
I suggest that everyone who is opposed to ICE click on the link Daniel has provided. At that link, scroll down to the bottom of the screen. On the left-hand side of the screen, click on "Search for ICE Jobs." There you will see the types of jobs for which the (t)Rump regime is seeking candidates and the salaries for each. When a job opening says, "Multiple Locations," that means that they have many, many openings around the country. These are our tax dollars at work in implementing one of the cruelest actions we have ever been asked to do in America, following slavery perpetuation and enforcement; stealing land from American Indians, their forced relocation to barren grounds; and the massacres of thousands who tried to defend their land; and the enforcement (legal or illegal) of Jim Crow laws. These actions by ICE agents will go down in history as another giant black mark on our history. Oh damn — I forgot, we are not allowed to teach real American history anymore, only the white-washed versions. And I do mean WHITE-WASHED!
And there you have it! Thanks, Daniel.
💔Thank You, Daniel!💔
Please my reply to Daniel Solomon's excellent post. Daniel is one smart cookie!
I heard Defense Base Act and Service Contract Act cases when I was working, and,, in essence, we had a mercenary army in Iraq and Afghanistan and under GWB we privatized many government jobs.
You can find these jobs on general job boards like ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and LinkedIn, or through specialized government contracting sites like SAM.gov. A wide range of fields are available, from administrative and IT support to construction, logistics, and engineering.
I found the following on SAM.gov
Department/Ind.Agency
HOMELAND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF
Subtier
U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT
Office
INVESTIGATIONS AND OPERATIONS SUPPORT DALLAS
Contract Opportunities
Current Response Date
August 11, 2025 at 12:00 PM EDT
Notice Type
Original Special Notice
Updated Date
Aug 4, 2025
Published Date
Aug 4, 2025
Comprehensive Social Media Advertising Program for ICE Rapid Recruitment Effort
Notice ID: 70CMSW
The purpose of this Request For Information (RFI) is to seek capability statements from potential sources to support U.S. Immigration and Customs E
...
Department/Ind.Agency
HOMELAND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF
Subtier
U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT
Office
MISSION SUPPORT WASHINGTON
Contract Opportunities
Current Response Date
August 11, 2025 at 07:00 AM EDT
Notice Type
Original Sources Sought
Updated Date
Aug 1, 2025
Published Date
Aug 1, 2025
Civil Surgeon Credential Verification
Notice ID: 70SBUR25Q00000151
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for the credential verification of Civil Surgeons (Doctors of Medicine (MD)) and Doctors of Osteopathic Me
...
Department/Ind.Agency
HOMELAND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF
Subtier
U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES
Office
USCIS CONTRACTING OFFICE(ERBUR)
Very helpful, Daniel! Before retiring, I worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and approximately 1/3 of the employees there were contractors (Contract-award preference was always given to small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses, so it was generally a good way to spread taxpayer dollars to deserving companies.) The contractors ran many of our necessary systems (e.g., IT and document clearance). I have heard from my previous colleagues that all contractors were immediately eliminated as soon as (t)Rump took office. A lot of good, honest workers were harmed, just the federal employees who were DOGED were; also, many of those contractors had been with CDC for their entire careers, and as employees, we depended on their expertise to keep our work flowing.
The tRump era will be remembered for not just its unnecessary cruelty, but its rampant and absolutely rabid dishonesty.
Jen Rubin , you are the real Cat’s Meow! You explain things the exact way it should be done for those idiots who think Trump has the Authoritarian brain to run the Country!!! It just baffle's me everyday to see how any of this Meanness can go on in this Precious Country of ours. And once all our Judges and our Supreme Court( scardicats), get their acts together, we’re going to have an even stronger Country than we had before!!!!!! Thank you Jen and the Judge for making my day!!!!!
Judge Reyes applied the duck test: If it looks like official policy, walks like official policy, and quacks like official policy, chances are it is official policy.
Rounding up people based on their skin color or the language they happen to be speaking at the time is illegal profiling. I have in-laws who speak fluent Chinese - can they (all native-born citizens) be rounded up for that?
The Trump regime would love to outlaw speaking any language other than English.
What's ironic is how orwellian their use of language is. They bastardize the only language they credit.
I'm expecting an EO any time that tries to establish English as our official language. 🙄
Official
How about stopping the use of "conservative" and replace it with a much more accurate term regressive.
I would imagine that if a few of these regime lawyers found themselves residing in cells, after being found in contempt, they might be more hesitant about spouting bs in court.
It's time judges cease with the outrage and start knocking heads.
Why do ice agents wear mask. It reminds me of the KKK.,America is better than Trump and his
crazies.
It seems they're afraid to have their identities outed. Strange that the president who railed against the wearing of masks during Covid, wants his thugs to mask up so carefully.
Every so often, I check what's going on at Faux, and similarly used to do the same re orange rallies. At an early rally I watched (as many others did) the "candidate" - for no reason - throw out the reporter who had cerebral palsy, making physical fun of him at the same time. I believe that was the rally where he then also broadcast the message to police officers that when they arrest someone, they need to "rough 'em up a little". IDK why that didn't stop every single attendee and tv watcher from even THINKING about voting for someone so unnecessarily cruel and thug-ish. So aside from miller and homan, you can see where the abduction behavior is coming from...
It's sad that they can't see how evil they actually are - how anti-American their goals and ways and means are.
It is completely irrelevant what something is called. What matters is if it happened or not. It's Trump lawyers trying to change the subject.
Judge: "Did ICE officers arrest people because they appear or sound Hispanic?"
Trump DOJ lawyer: "That is not official policy."
Judge: "Don't change the subject, did they or did they not arrest people because they appear or sound Hispanic?"