U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has run a secretive program for years where ICE agents have trained hundreds of civilian volunteers on how to operate multiple types of firearms, conduct investigations and surveillance of immigrants, and use lethal force on human beings.
The program, known as Citizens Academies, includes role-play scenarios for civilians to conduct fictional raids on immigrants and is active in New York and in more than a dozen cities across the country.
The program is run by Homeland Security Investigations, the branch of ICE in charge of intelligence, international affairs, and surveillance.According to thousands of internal documents obtained from ICE via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request litigation, published on Oct. 1 by a group of civil rights organizations, the program was piloted first in Puerto Rico in 2014 and turned national in 2019.
“It is a violent and racist program, where people pretending to be violent ICE officers got to hold guns and fire them in role-play situations where agents pretended to be immigrants,” said Ian Head, Open Records project manager at the
Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) a legal center advocating and defending human and constitutional rights.
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This program reflects the oppressive apparatus of the capitalist state, targeting vulnerable populations to maintain control. It's a tool for suppressing the working class and must be opposed through collective action.
National security measures should be transparent and involve public discourse. Secret programs undermine democratic principles. We need to ensure that any such initiatives align with constitutional values and respect for all individuals.
This initiative infringes upon constitutional rights and sets a dangerous precedent for state-sanctioned violence.
This is an overreach of state power and a step toward an authoritarian society. Arming civilians for immigration enforcement escalates violence and diverts attention from addressing the root causes of migration.
@8BMXNMFSocial Justice2yrs2Y
This program is a manifestation of systemic racism and xenophobia. Training civilians to conduct raids on immigrants perpetuates violence against marginalized communities. We should dismantle such programs and focus on equity and justice.
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