ICE budget now bigger than most of the world's militaries
www.newsweek.com
Donald Trump wants to inject $150 billion into his immigration crackdown over the next four years.

The Senate has passed a bill making Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the U.S.'s largest interior law enforcement agency with funding for Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda higher than most of the world’s militaries, including Israel’s.

Pending its passage in the House of Representatives, Trump’s bill could mean a massive increase in ICE funding as part of an immigration enforcement agenda worth $150 billion over four years.

This figure is more than the annual military budget of Italy, which at $30.8 billion, is the world’s 16th highest defense spender for this year according to tracker Global Fire Power.

It is also higher than military spending for Israel, ($30 billion), the Netherlands ($27 billion) and Brazil ($26.1 billion).

  • Colonel_Panic_@eviltoast.org
    5·
    1 小时前

    But we can’t afford to feed kids or have medical care or research for cancers and diseases or build housing for everyone.

    But we can buy expensive bombs galore to drop on families and build concentration camps.

    Neat.

    So, when do we all stop paying taxes and stop going to work and bring the whole system crashing down to stop this madness?

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
    10·
    6 小时前

    If you want to put 250m subjects under the boot, you simply need a well-funded American GeStaPo.

  • lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.world
    541·
    5 小时前

    Is anyone still pretending ICE is about immigration? ICE is Trump’s SS, and they just got funding beyond any dictator’s wildest dreams. Good luck with your totalitarian police state.

    Edit: I want to retract my last sentence. It was callous and stupid. My heart aches for the people who fought against this.

      • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
        1·
        2 小时前

        That’s how it was supposed to be, until the Right co-opted firearms as an entire personality, and the liberal response was to spread ignorance, miseducation, and fear about them so that their party branding looked different enough.

        So now all the insecure, hateful, scared-of-everybody violence-fantasists are armed, knowledgeable, and stocked.

        And those that would oppose authoritarianism en masse were force-fed “Only cops and the military should be armed and the rest of us should just wish they didn’t exist”.

        So they’re now largely rendered toothless and clawless normies who think flash hiders, rail grips, and black paint make a weapon “more lethal.” And don’t know what to do with themselves if pickets and law systems don’t have an effect.

        Meanwhile the “patriotic” bullies ramble about “freedom” and “small government” whilst simping for their fascist overlords unopposed by any actual threat.

        Like most loud bullies, most are the types that would likely break if met with any actual opposition that could do them harm.

        I don’t want to see it come to this, but we need to educate and train ourselves before it’s too late. The threat alone might be enough to put them in their place.

        It’s very clear nobody is coming to save us from this worsening state of affairs.

      • MiDaBa@lemmy.ml
        5·
        4 小时前

        Its probably time we all become the gun nuts at least while they still let us

  • FlyingCircus@lemmy.world
    41·
    15 小时前

    Seems like it’s time to for people to learn about sustained direct action campaigns.

    Rev Left Radio had a great interview earlier this year with a member of Palestine Action about their extremely successful direct action campaign against Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit. While the media would have you believe that Palestine Action is an ineffective bunch of clowns, they have already forced the closure of two weapons factories in England and forced Barclays Bank to divest from Elbit through sustained sabotage campaigns. Their incredible success is the actual reason the UK government has named them a terrorist organization, not just for spray painting some planes.

    https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=Palestine+action

    For legal reasons, I am not encouraging anyone to break any laws.

  • HugeNerd@lemmy.ca
    10·
    15 小时前

    Good, service guarantees citizenship and the way things are going, the Greatestest and Bestest Democraciest Peaciest and Freedomest Country in the Whole Wide Universe will need some cannon fodder highly qualified personnel.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      17·
      8 小时前

      Even more so when you remember that the original “we need to get rid of all those immigrants” argument stemmed from migrants costing the country too much money.

      Trillions for deportation. Not one penny for infrastructure or social services.

  • Psiczar@aussie.zone
    46·
    22 小时前

    We’re probably nearing the point where Americans will start trying to get over the border wall and into Mexico.

    • andros_rex@lemmy.world
      9·
      9 小时前

      Honestly been looking into it. If things go south enough, I’ve thought about driving down that way. Closer than Canada. I’d have to get through Texas, but teaching math in Mexico City sounds nice.

      • Dozzi92@lemmy.world
        6·
        8 小时前

        My brother lived in Mexico City about a decade ago. We’re from the US. MC always had a bad rep, but like many things, it was overblown. Worst part of the city is the traffic. Public transport can be a little tight. Gotta get used to whatever lives in the water. Otherwise, I always enjoyed visiting. There was the one time there was an earthquake while I was on the roof of a high-rise, we don’t get those in Jersey, but that’s a fluke.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        8 小时前

        In Mexico right now. It’s beautiful, the people are friendly, cost of living is easily half that of the States, and the food is spectacular.

        • andros_rex@lemmy.world
          3·
          8 小时前

          What’s rent for a one bedroom apartment? My Spanish isn’t great but it’s tolerable. Any science or math teacher openings in your area lol?

          I imagine border security into the country is easier than the other way around.

          • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
            5·
            7 小时前

            What’s rent for a one bedroom apartment?

            Pretty wide range depending on neighborhood and quality. I’m in Condesa, so it’s in the $600-1200 USD range. You can definitely find cheaper.

            I imagine border security into the country is easier than the other way around.

            It’s not really an issue in Mexico City.

      • Zink@programming.dev
        8·
        22 小时前

        I can totally see this coming.

        The developed world has a population growth problem. Population growth has slowed or reversed in many countries, but the global economy is designed around infinite growth, fed by an infinitely growing pool of workers and customers. Then when they retire they can be taken care of by the infinitely growing population of young people.

        It takes zero imagination to picture this administration forcing “high value human resources” to remain in the country, including putting them on no fly lists. Unfortunately since they are stupid, the brain drain has already started.

        • Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
          6·
          17 小时前

          This goes nicely with abortion bans, criminalization of life choices that don’t produce babies, and the disenfranchisement of women.

    • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      2·
      22 小时前

      I was gonna say. Things might be different if I was in poverty and in central America, but for the rest of us the US just seems like a real awful place to be.

    • Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.caEnglish
      7·
      8 小时前

      I’d argue they are more like the SS at this point. Consider: the point of the Gestapo was to police the German population and root out internal threats to the Nazis. The SS, on the other hand, were a military branch that were responsible for eradication of the “undesirable elements”. I feel like the latter is a more fitting mold for ICE.

      • bestboyfriendintheworld@sh.itjust.works
        3·
        7 小时前

        The SS had many tasks. One of them was to protect the regime against coups from the army or SA.

        At the beginning the SA also ran concentration camps, the SS took them over soon.

        SS, Gestapo, and regular police were all under Himmler’s command via the Reichssicherheitshauptamt.

        Gestapo was formed from preexisting secret political police forces.

        Trumpism operates differently than Nazism. However Trump needs a loyal oppression infrastructure to build a more authoritarian system. ICE is on its way to enable that.

  • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    61·
    1 天前

    Daily reminder to all ICE agents. By signing up for ICE, you have signed yourself up for a lifetime of fear and criminal liability. There are Nazi concentration camp guards that were tried for their crimes in their 90s. There is no statute of limitations on crimes against humanity. Your names are recorded; your deeds are known. And you will face justice for your crimes. And do not count on a blanket pardon saving you. Crimes against humanity are violations of international law that cannot be pardoned.

    • bradorsomething@ttrpg.network
      1·
      4 小时前

      That’s something I’ve thought about a lot; these people are going to war with their society, and their and their family’s names and addresses are one data breech away from public knowledge.

      Fortunately the government is protecting them by mass layoffs and encouraging mass retirements from anyone involved in data security.

      My personal bingo card has the families of some these people dropped off in the chihuahaun desert if they piss off the cartels.

    • bestboyfriendintheworld@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      6 小时前

      Not all guards of concentration camps or SS members were prosecuted. That was also an unusual situation as the Nazi state and the SS ceased to exist and was occupied for decades.

      No ICE agent will be prosecuted for conducting arrests or executing warrants against illegal immigrants. Once mass torture, inhumane treatment, extralegal executions and such start, it becomes more risky for them.

      We don’t know how bad it will get yet or what comes after. In the best case Trump and republicans lose the next elections. A New Democrat government could simply downsize ICE and only prosecute a handful of bad apples. Remember what happened after Abu Ghraib.

    • IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world
      16·
      22 小时前

      fuck legal systems, we all know the next democrat will pardon them or refuse to prosecute them.

      they need to live in fear from decent human beings,

  • OutlierBlue@lemmy.caEnglish
    71·
    1 天前

    There’s no way they need all those people and resources if they’re only going after illegal immigrants. They’re going to start disappearing their other targets too. People of Colour, Democrats, LGBTQ, scientists. Get in line. I hope you’re ready for what we know is coming.

    First they came for the immigrants…