Armed and Dangerous
When I wrote my book, I was careful to be reasonable and even-handed in my view of ICE and ICE agents. This is because I didn't want a reader to think I was vilifying all ICE agents, just because of one or two bad apples. I still feel this way. I know that not all ICE agents would have shot Alex Pretti or Renee Good, or Lorenzo Salgado Araujo or Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero.
But at some point, you have to say to yourself, WTF?! Because it didn't stop there. After Joan, there was Wilbur. After Wilbur, there was Oscar. And it will probably be somebody else next.
It's disturbing, to say the least. Actually, it's outrageous and it's a significant indication of what ICE has become after January 20, 2025.
When I think about ICE officers who have had long careers working for ICE, I have to believe that the overwhelming majority of veteran ICE officers would not have shot any of these victims. The reason they would not have shot them is because I don't believe the shooters were objectively in fear for their lives or others. And if they weren't in fear for their lives or others, then a veteran ICE officer would not have pulled the trigger. A veteran ICE officer is most likely a person of good moral character who went through a background check and received sufficient training.
So, what's happening here? It has been reported elsewhere that new ICE officers hired last year and this year did not receive a background check or get sufficient training before being put out on the street with a badge and a gun.
It is shameful that the people in charge of immigration in this administration have had such a singular focus of deporting large numbers of immigrants, that they forgot about humanity. And their actions have had a devastating effect on humanity.
The United States needs to reform immigration law enforcement. I believe we need to get rid of ICE and bring back INS, but only with ICE agents who were there before Trump 2.0. As a nation, of course we will always need to have government employees whose job it is enforce immigration law. But it doesn't have to be ICE. It can be a different agency. We could remake INS and make it better, with new rules about stops, arrests, and detention. And when immigration reform happens, immigration law enforcement shouldn't continue to involve someone who first joined the agency on or after January 20, 2025.
If you want to know more:
If you would like to read more about my ideas on how the U.S. should change the laws about immigration law enforcement, please check out my book Fixing Immigration in America: A Common Sense Plan for Immigration Reform, available here:
People have told me that it's a good read. I hope you enjoy it!
If you or someone you know might prefer to listen to it, instead of reading, the audiobook is available on Audible and Spotify.
Here's the Audible link:
Btw, I'm also on Substack now:
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