17 Comments
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Melissa's avatar

That's crazy the funding in 2 decades went from $3.3 billion to $87 billion. Can you imagine if we increased departments like the Dept of Education at the same ratio.

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Rebekah C Rawl's avatar

Thank you for that timeline/history of how ICE became what it is today. Having a relatively short history, it has totally transformed & imo, has developed into an arm of the military.

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Glenda Harbert's avatar

From stealing this country from Native Americans to now, I’m not sure we are a worse-natured people; but we certainly are heartless, from very beginning. I’m not sure if a single god created us people; but if so, that god cries.

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Clark Walker's avatar

The Social Gospel of the past 80 years from the Mainstream churches is needed again from here on out and may it's influence flourish going forward.

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Kelly H's avatar

Great article, Casey! This was very informative. I did not know ICE was created so recently. The breakdown by administration was really helpful!

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Diana Gregory's avatar

Very enlightening- I fear for some of my friends who have just become citizens. Will they be swept up and have to prove who they are?

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Anne Skamarock's avatar

Thank you for this informative article! I would love to see a follow-on article about what is happening to all these people ICE is rounding up. We have heard that some are flown (shipped) here or there but what about the US Citizens and people legally in the States that are being swept up? Is everyone getting their day in court?

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Cheyenne Bandy's avatar

Well done, Casey - and well done, Sharon. Loving this new age of The Preamble, and what an incredibly thoughtful and informative article to start with. Having the historical context really shows how far this country has deviated from its initial goals.

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Taylor Buckel's avatar

Knowing the history is so helpful, thank you for this context and research.

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Amy's avatar

Thank you for the informative article. I appreciate the historical information on ICE and how previous administrations have dealt with immigration.

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Jody Falconer's avatar

Excellent article! The history of ICE and how various administrations used the department is very helpful in understanding the original intent and the subsequent unraveling and drift from ethics and decency.

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Paula Longhurst's avatar

IMHO most of these so called ICE agents are not trained by the U.S government. They are so violent and their casual cruelty and masks points to proud boys or pardoned Jan Sixers. They are a disgrace to their ‘uniform’

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Carmen Nguyen's avatar

The ballooning in ICE funding is mind boggling to me. I can only imagine what a different set of priorities and that amount of funding could do for the people in this country.

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Jenn's avatar

What I find interesting is that funding and execution for ICE seems to be similar to executive orders and is mainly the cause of our highly inconsequential legislative branch at this point. The executive branch is acting as judge, jury and executioner. We have created this by placing so much emphasis on what a president/executive branch can do. In a true democracy, the executive branch DO NOT hold the purse strings, but now they do, and years of Congress kicking the immigration problem down the road is the cause. This is an us problem, people, and until we recognize that, we are doomed.

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Clark Walker's avatar

The pendulum has swung too far to the right on immigration and needs to become more humane in the future and similar to the Bush and Obama administration's in years past where a kinder and gentler approach was used and more fair than what we see today in the Trump Christian Nationalist regime .

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Aubrey Miaskowkski's avatar

So interesting and confounding how ICE has drastically pivoted focus from protecting America from terrorism under Bush to theatrical raids and making Americans feel so vulnerable and unsafe from the inside out under Trump.

Why are immigrants who are offered entry due to displacement or in harms way grouped into the unauthorized bucket when they are authorized to be here? The word unauthorized is very misleading.

Left with so many questions and feel empowered after reading this article. Thank you!

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Elisabeth Birker's avatar

Insanity is all around. Talk about a better way to allocate that money!!! Shouldn’t the investment be made in education and health care? This is all crazy!

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