Of all the criminal, fascistic things going on in the U.S. right now, the rampage of ICE and Border Patrol agents across the land rises to the top. This is an all-out, Brown Shirted war on the American populace that is on the verge of leading to civilian deaths.

Congress must act to stop this unchecked, unrestrained menace as fast as possible. The videos of these abusive thugs pile up in my social media feeds by the hour: Masked “agents” pepper-spraying onlookers; dragging men and women out of their vehicles after breaking their windows; leaving children unattended, or abducting them along with (or separately from) their parents; drawing guns on bystanders; crashing their vehicles into others, risking bodily harm; kidnapping people right and left, including U.S. citizens; routinely separating children from their families; deporting them without due process. And at least one person was shot by ICE agents in the past several weeks, according to the New York Times.

(Speaking of the Times … An article first published on November 14 was headlined, “She Was Deported in Error. Her Child Was Left Behind.” Can the Times get any more depraved and collaborationist with the Trump fascist agenda? In error? If you believe this was a mistake, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.)

Liberal-leaning members of Congress tried at least once before, during the first Trump administration in 2018, to abolish ICE. That legislation predictably stalled out. But that was, by today’s standards, an innocent time. Now our very rights to move about freely and be secure in our persons are being directly attacked by masked fascist thugs, with the full approval of the federal government (and often local and state law enforcement as well).

This is an issue that should concern every elected official, blue and red alike. Red states such as North Carolina have been targeted as much as blue states like California. ICE is a threat to every American citizen, not to mention immigrants of varying statuses who all have rights under our Constitution and many of whom are here legally.

Our streets need to be made safe again from law-breakers—law-breakers in masks who are abusing authority and abusing human beings. Sweep the Brown Shirts off the streets. It’s time to abolish ICE, now!!

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