The Trump administration has something up its sleeve… or so it seems. The person who was directed to come back in a court stated order fled to Washington and missed his court appearance. Instead, they sent two attorneys who didn’t know anything about this. And he was cowering in his ICE office instead. This is pitiful. From AlterNet:
CNN anchor Boris Sanchez reports that federal law enforcement is starting to feel the heat as a Chicago judge condemns the Trump administration’s tactics, saying that there are still reports of tear gas being deployed without warning. U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis, a Barack Obama appointee, ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement field director Russell Hott to appear in court Monday.
But he returned to Washington, D.C. that same day on what the Department of Homeland Security calls a “planned return.” Former federal prosecutor and POLITICO senior writer Ankush Kardori says that Hott’s failure to appear in Chicago is not typical. “Usually when a judge requests a specific government official show up, they expect that official to show up, and that person shows up. So, no, it’s unusual,” he says.
Hmmm. What’s wrong with this picture? The bully boys have to behave (finally)? We *know* they don’t want to work properly? No, they want to keep doing what they have been doing all along – terrorizing the immigrant population. The “secret police” continue to keep on abusing their power and anonymity to scare people and mistreat them.
Remember that giant ridiculous raid in Chicago? They rappelled in. It wasn’t a ground offensive, not at first, although it became one. And they broke down doors, zip-tying even the children’s hands behind their backs, some of whom weren’t even dressed! There’s more of this, but there was also tear gas used in a neighborhood, as you could see, which is the point of this column. Kinde went sideways there.
Instead, two federal officials are taking Hott’s place and testifying instead, answering questions from the judge about the use of tear gas, who ordered the tear gas, and who was directing them to do so. Kardori doesn’t think they will offer much. “This has been a big issue, actually, with some of the government’s representations in court. They will put people up who know little to nothing about the relevant issues. So I expect her to put some pressure on that level of analysis,” he says.
This is some bullsh!t. Ordered by the *judge* to return, and he flies out the same day? Makes one wonder if he’s hiding in his office so he doesn’t have to testify. Heh. It’s not that easy. And we can bet on her blindsiding him with something. Well, okay, we hope she will. It’s always good to have something on the dark side to benefit us on the light. That’s something worth hanging onto. To close:
The judge, who on Thursday ordered “all agents who are operating in Operation Midway Blitz … to wear body-worn cameras,” sparked controversy among ICE agents who don’t want to work with FBI agents wearing body cameras. The Department of Justice, Kardori explained, is “opposing this.” The use of body cameras is a complicated area of the law, Kardori said. “And there are exceptions. It’s not necessarily mandated across all federal officers. But I do think in this particular context, she is right to be sort of pushing the line on this,” he added. “I think I think it’s become apparent, quite honestly, that the anonymity of the agents they’re masking has become a real problem.”
Oh yes, it definitely has. ICE doesn’t want to work with body cameras that will show what they are doing. They want to have free rein in doing their “jobs”. And that’s the problem all around. They don’t want to be restricted. They want to be anonymous bully boys. But the judge is watching them. They’d do well to remember that.
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At least ‘ICE’ is shorthand for ‘COWARDS’…I wonder how much money they’ll save on four less letters in future printing?
You know who should be watching them? The Chicago Police. They have cameras too.