Okay, I know we are all sick of the ICE bullshizzle. But I ran across this interesting article that I thought I would share. It’s what the agents are feeling. Yes, yes, who cares. Seriously, though, it’s really the first time we’ve heard from them instead of about what they’re doing. And they *do* deserve some consideration. From AlterNet:
Trump has contemplated eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) altogether — an idea that drew scathing criticism when areas of Central Texas were rocked by deadly floods over the 4th of July Weekend. But one agency that clearly isn’t being defunded is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). President Donald Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill” contains $75 billion set aside for ICE during a four-year period.
There are a lot of places that Trump is trying to hamstring, and may succeed, if he hasn‘t already. Alrighty, there’s your intro. Someone took the time to ask the agents how *they* are feeling. It’s surprising. I think we figured they got into this because they could be anonymous assholes and clobber people. But they do have morals, and they do have feelings. Well, at least some of them do. And Trump is feeling the backlash of that “big, beautiful bill”, too (bonus!).
While other agencies are being aggressively downsized, ICE is hiring. But according to an article from The Independent published on August 26, ICE is an incredibly stressful work environment during Trump’s second presidency — and agents are “grappling with widespread burnout and frustration.” Two current and nine former ICE officials have said agents are struggling to keep pace with the (Trump) administration’s aggressive enforcement agenda. While all interviewed officials backed immigration enforcement in principle, they criticized the Trump Administration’s push for high daily arrest quotas.”
There you have it. The quotas are ridiculous and nearly impossible to meet. The pressure has to be really intense. 3000 is a *lot* of people. Sure, it’s across the entire US, but still, oof. I can’t imagine working like that. It doesn’t give someone any choices. You have to put out or leave. I’ll bet a lot more are leaving than we know of.
Americans have been inundated with images on social media of often-masked agents in tactical gear handcuffing people on neighborhood streets, at worksites, outside schools, churches, and courthouses, and in their driveways. “Videos of some arrests have gone viral, fueling public anger over the tactics. An ICE agent, quoted anonymously, told The Independent, “The demands they placed on us were unrealistic. It was not done in a safe manner or in a manner to make us most successful.”
Bingo. Ridiculous stress. The ones who spoke out, albeit anonymously, because the shizzle would hit the fan if they used their names, are telling us that it’s not all of what we’ve been thinking. Some of them actually think, instead of being all about the beat-down. I wouldn’t want to be in ICE. I’m not that crazy. (And I’m handicapped.) Sure, the money looks good, the sign-on bonuses look good, but for that amount of strain? Make that a hard pass. Nope, nope, nope.
Friends, I know everybody begs you for money. I promise you that of all of the outlets bugging you for spare change, we are the smallest and the hardest working. We’re a bunch of old, disabled people, except one writer in his mid-50s. But the rest of us are in our sixties and seventies, and this is a labor of love. All we’re asking for is the ability to continue our quest to tell the truth about Trump and ensure democracy survives. If you can help, please do. Thanks. Ursula
