A structural critique focused on the agency itself
Trump occupies the headlines, but the more urgent danger may be the one operating quietly in the background: ICE. Even if Trump were politically neutered tomorrow — even if Congress blocked every impulsive idea, every executive action, every attempt at strongman theatrics — ICE would still remain a threat on its own. The agency has grown into something far larger and more aggressive than originally intended. Mission creep, heavy-handed raids, political weaponization, and a culture increasingly comfortable with intimidation have transformed ICE into a force that can inflict lasting harm regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
That’s why reforming or restraining ICE is not just a progressive priority; it’s a national one. A democracy cannot tolerate an enforcement agency that behaves as though it exists above oversight and beyond consequence. Trump may be the loudest figure in the room, but ICE is the one capable of real, lasting damage while the country is distracted. Stopping Trump matters. But stopping ICE may matter even more. If we can neuter one, perhaps we can finally address the other.
The Bigger Threat: ICE Out of Control
A structural critique focused on the agency itself
Trump occupies the headlines, but the more urgent danger may be the one operating quietly in the background: ICE. Even if Trump were politically neutered tomorrow — even if Congress blocked every impulsive idea, every executive action, every attempt at strongman theatrics — ICE would still remain a threat on its own. The agency has grown into something far larger and more aggressive than originally intended. Mission creep, heavy-handed raids, political weaponization, and a culture increasingly comfortable with intimidation have transformed ICE into a force that can inflict lasting harm regardless of who occupies the Oval Office.
That’s why reforming or restraining ICE is not just a progressive priority; it’s a national one. A democracy cannot tolerate an enforcement agency that behaves as though it exists above oversight and beyond consequence. Trump may be the loudest figure in the room, but ICE is the one capable of real, lasting damage while the country is distracted. Stopping Trump matters. But stopping ICE may matter even more. If we can neuter one, perhaps we can finally address the other.
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