Interesting. Geraldo Rivera, who we might normally expect to jump on the "costume drama" he speaks of, is actually criticizing the incredibly stupid actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (which operates under the Department of Homeland Security). Driven by the most savage talk radio and cable news anti-immigrant propaganda campaign in our nation's history, the Department of Homeland Security has unleashed an unprecedented crackdown on undocumented workers ...What Rivera doesn't say (although he alludes to it) is that ICE apparently has nothing on the terrorist scare the Bush administration has been hyping, so they need to do something to show they are "protecting" America.
... Many hundreds of otherwise law abiding, hard working, family men and women have been arrested in recent weeks under circumstances more appropriate to operations targeting al Qaeda. With noise and fury, these heavily armed and armored SWAT teams from ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are surrounding a particular plant, then with great quasi-military flourish sweeping in to arrest and handcuff the 'aliens', bring them en masse to a hearing, conviction and sentencing, all pending deportation. These completely overdone costume dramas are targeting cowering economic refugees just trying to feed their families. They would be ridiculed as overkill and posturing by any real soldier or cop ...
As is the case with much of what has happened under the Bush administration, the actions of ICE speak more to moral cowardice and political drama (or "costume drama"?) than to substance. We're going to deal with immigration and the politically-driven policies of ICE on the program by the end of June.
- Mark
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