ICE Pretends It’s a Military Force. Its Tactics Would Get Real Soldiers Killed Highlight

Personally, ICE’s operations seem like a fever dream of the worst parts of the war on terror coming back home to roost. From ineffective facial recognition scans (BATS and HIIDES, anyone?) to “geardos” who spent more time at Ranger Joe's (a military outfitter) than the range to late-night raids to catch a local terrorist leader who, half the time, was just a random guy trying to get through the day. We brought the mechanisms of a surveillance state to war with us, and they snuck into our duffel bags and followed us home. We emphasized accomplishing the mission no matter what and bred a generation of yes-men. We drove in heavily armed convoys down neighborhood streets, and now those trucks roll through our streets.

My generation spent its youth at war. We volunteered to do this, I acknowledge, but with the somehow implied belief that we could do some good. And that what we did mattered and that we stood for something. Something significant and unique. But as we watch the least effective and most morally objectionable of our tactics come home and be used amongst and against us, we are left with a profound feeling of betrayal. This, too, is a result of misaligned tactics.