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Revised Text with corrections & Updates:
Are US immigration agencies becoming paramilitaries?
The increasing militarization of US immigration enforcement agencies – specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – has prompted some observers to describe them as resembling “paramilitaries.” While not technically militias, these agencies are exhibiting characteristics commonly associated with such forces, raising concerns about accountability and civil liberties.
Both ICE and CBP operate with fewer restrictions than other law enforcement agencies, such as the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure; both have gained exemptions from oversight intended to hold officers accountable for excessive force. CBP regulations, as an example, allow it to search and seize people’s property without a warrant or the “probable cause” requirement imposed on other forces within 100 miles,or about 161 kilometers,of the border. This 100-mile border zone has effectively expanded over time,encompassing a meaningful portion of the US population.
in terms of partisan affiliations, Trump cultivated immigration security forces as political allies, an effort that appears to have been successful. In 2016, the union that represents ICE officers endorsed trump’s campaign with support from more than 95% of its voting members. Recent reporting indicates that this trend has continued, with ICE recruitment efforts increasingly utilizing social media and appealing to conservative and far-right audiences. There are concerns about the political vetting of recruits and the potential for extremist views within the agency.
Both ICE and CBP have been deployed against political opponents in nonimmigration contexts,including Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C. and portland, Oregon in 2020. They have also gathered data, according to political scientist Elizabeth F. Cohen, to “surveil citizens’ political beliefs and activities – including protest actions they have taken on issues as far afield as gun control – in addition to immigrants’ rights.” Further reports have revealed the use of surveillance technologies and data sharing with other law enforcement agencies, raising privacy concerns.
In these ways, ICE and CBP do bear some resemblance to the informal paramilitaries used in many countries to carry out political repression along partisan and ethnic lines, even though they are official agents of the state.
Why this matters
An extensive body of research shows that more militarized forms of policing are associated with higher rates of police violence and More on this