The federal government’s two immigration enforcement agencies have been shamelessly and corruptly all-in on impeached president Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, from launching politically motivated raids targeting so-called sanctuary cities, to promoting his racist border wall just days before the end of voting next week.
That’s also exactly why the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is again preparing for the possibility of using these two agencies against communities, in case of “civil unrest amid a contentious election,” CNN reports. And even though a top official says there’s no “specific intelligence that suggests any particular threat of violence."
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“Immigration and Customs Enforcement is putting personnel on standby in the run up to next week's election, according to a senior ICE official,” CNN reported, “while Customs and Border Protection has been regularly training personnel—an extension of the deployments this summer, an agency official said.”
Those are among the same heavily militarized forces that kidnapped protestors right off the streets in Portland, Oregon, earlier this year, and “have no business appearing at protests,” border advocates note. But that’s exactly why these out-of-control agencies could be used again—and even though one of the administration’s unlawfully appointed officials said there’s no direct threat calling for it in the first place.
"’We have teams ready to go as needed,’ said Ken Cuccinelli, the senior official performing the duties of the Homeland Security deputy secretary”—that’s the actual job title he’s been given because he’s not supposed to be in his job in the first place, may I note—“but pointed out that ‘we don't have any specific intelligence that suggests any particular threat of violence,’” the report continued.
Of course, there have been reports of Republican-led voter intimidation (that doesn’t even include their shenanigans at the courts), but unlawfully appointed Ken likely doesn’t consider that a bad thing, and thus isn’t a threat. What we’ve also seen have been right-wing domestic terrorists targeting Trump’s political enemies, like the foiled plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
But even after officials revealed that these right-wing domestic terrorists sought to forcibly take her to a remote location for a televised “trial” where they were possible preparing to execute her, Trump continued fomenting violence by refusing to end his attacks against her.
Americans everywhere certainly have been preparing themselves for the possibility of taking to the streets this election, but only because this fascist in the White House has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. He’s also been the political figure actively encouraging violence. When it comes to unrest and threats of violence, perhaps DHS should look within instead of at us.