ICE goes rogue on S-Comm

ICE showed its true colors today. Government insiders have longed considered
ICE the “rogue” agency, and today it was at its most obstinate and contemptuous, the stubborn younger brother who won’t play nice and changes the rules of the game when it looks like he’s losing.

ICE has shown that it cannot be trusted to behave as a responsible agency. ICE lied to Congress when it asked for money to create S-Comm in order to deport violent criminals. Nothing about S-Comm’s structure is even geared towards criminals. It is meant to be a dragnet to sweep up the innocent and criminals alike, and that’s exactly what it has become.

ICE lied to cities and towns when it sold them this program as a way to get criminals off of the streets. In fact, ICE's own numbers show that the majority of people deported under S-Comm have no criminal convictions whatsoever.

ICE lied to governors and mayors when it sat down at the negotiating table and pretended to hash out a deal. When those deals fell through, the agency turned around and said they were never necessary.

ICE lied to the communities, holding hearings and meetings with advocates, while turning a deaf ear to the legitimate public safety concerns of people on the ground who will have to implement this terrible program.

Late on another Friday afternoon seven weeks ago, ICE announced a set of superficial “changes” to S-Comm. But everyone saw the changes for what they were - an insincere attempt to quiet criticisms without actually addressing the fact that S-Comm undermines effective community policing.

ICE cannot be trusted to ensure America’s safety. It made clear today that it plans on forcing its plan down the throats of states and cities whose leaders have told ICE that S-Comm makes their communities less safe by undermining law enforcement.

It is time for communities, towns, cities and states to stand up to this federal power-grab. S-Comm must be ended and ICE must be reined in.