Dangerously Loud and Perilously Close

ICE agents have become emboldened by their lack of judicial accountability. Loudly and with impunity—i.e. lacking proper judicial warrants—they break down doors, accost people, and sometimes haul them away for undisclosed reasons. In an incident with which I am personally familiar, a victim was taken by ICE to another state hundreds of miles from his home, and when released, left to find his own way back. A judicial scholar described these actions as “perilously close” to ignoring the constitutional protections afforded all citizens, particularly the right to due process. This description gives me pause to reflect upon our current government’s relationship with the country’s national charter: the constitution, the supreme law of the land.

How can we be absolutely certain that all of these ICE agents are really employed by DHS and, therefore, official representatives of the United States government instead of opportunistic MAGA vigilantes? Their enigmatic behaviors cause me great concern. They wear masks to hide their identity, seldom show IDs, or read suspects their Miranda rights. If they are conducting police activities, what legal (and ethical) obligations are they under to 1) identify themselves as legally appointed representatives of the government, 2) explain why they suspect criminal wrongdoing, 3) what criminal wrongdoing they suspect, and most importantly, 4) the supposedly inviolable due process rights under the law to each victim they interrogate?