[pjc50]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/emiliano-s-agents-left-beh...

ICE are to a large extent above the law. Their entire purpose is to snatch people and move them to locations where they can be denied legal redress. A couple of high profile cases have only got redress due to very dedicated intervention by congresspeople, which does not scale.

I think people need to start reckoning with the underlying problem, which is that oppressive policing in America is popular provided it's happening to someone else.

[netsharc]

Geez, East Germany's State Security, but with supremely better surveillance tech, and AI.

Curious how "Homeland Security" and "State Security" are equivalent names.

Looking forward to a "Report suspicious neighbors"-program next. Your neighbor made fun of Trump? Report this unamerican activity to Kristi Noem!

[ben_w]

> Curious how "Homeland Security" and "State Security" are equivalent names.

Yes, but the unfortunate thing with names is that people get to pick them to sound however they want.

This is why the official name of the Berlin Wall translates as "anti-fascist protection barrier", along with all the examples that probably inspired 1984 (written in 48, so before the wall).

[_mlbt]

Minnesota implemented this during COVID…

https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/coronavirus-in-minnes...

I’m sure there are also ways to anonymously report illegal immigrants to ICE as well. People are still free to criticize Trump all they want. The First Amendment is pretty clear on this.

[pjc50]

American nationals whose parents are both Americans are safe. People in the US who are not full citizens are at significant risk. People who are American citizens by birthright are currently safe, but there are explicit plans to attack birthright citizenship.

[troyvit]

> People are still free to criticize Trump all they want. The First Amendment is pretty clear on this.

I guess it depends on how you define "person."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activist_deportations_in_the_s...

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/19/trump-deportation-g...

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/09/nyregion/ice-arrests-pale...

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oRiQz7mOY6A

[freilanzer]

> People are still free to criticize Trump all they want. The First Amendment is pretty clear on this.

In theory.

[_mlbt]

No, in actuality. People criticize Trump daily without fear of repercussions.

He's not a king or a dictator. Much of his agenda is being put in check by the other two branches of government.

[Atreiden]

In theory, yes. In practice, he already has a long track record of leveraging his position, and the institutions it allows him to command, to enact personal vengeance upon his enemies. The examples are numerous, but one need look no further than Stephen Colbert.

Paramount paid $16 million to the Trump library fund to settle a meritless case, because of his ability to wield the FCC to squash their merger.

Colbert called this out on his show as rampant extortion by the Trump Administration, and they promptly cancelled his show.

Sure, you can argue that this wasn't a police/military act, and the government itself did not punish Colbert for his views and speech.

But in cronyism, especially under a regime actively trying to gut the federal government and allow private parties to assume it's functions, this becomes at best a nominal distinction. If you, in an official government capacity, can wield your power to enact vengeance on your opponents and dissidents, maybe even going as far as to diacriminate against entire states that vote against you (https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trump-discriminati...), you have a mechanism with which you can quasi-legally (good luck fighting this one in court) punish Speech You Do Not Like.

For the average, or even exceptional person, this functionally amounts to a restriction on your speech. I am highly critical of Trump, but not under any avenue tied to my identity.

I am far from the only person who operates this way. The assertion that you can freely citizen the administration without fear of reprisal does not hold water.

[asacrowflies]

Are you high lol