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).

  • FireAtWill@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Well we were the most prosperous country in the world while being racist to the hilt. I’m guessing the GOP thinks that might be the secret sauce.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

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

    • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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      4 months ago

      I appreciate a lot of the harassment campaigns around tracking and interfering with ICE. These should continue and escalate.

      This extrajudicial black-bag unmarked-personnel van-kidnapping bullshit should carry unacceptable risk and highly visible negative public optics for those who keep attempting it.

  • OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    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…

  • Colonel_Panic_@eviltoast.org
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    4 months ago

    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?

  • KingPorkChop@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    What a stupid thing to waste money on.

    You could save some of that money and just enforce rules and fines on the people who hire undocumented workers. You’ll get money from fines and people will stop hiring those without papers. It’s almost like the problem will take care of itself.

    Oh wait, that’s right. This is all about hurting brown people, breaking up families, throwing sick kids in cages, and making them suffer.

    Nevermind.

    • buttnugget@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I’d like to see them crack down on employers who pay substandard wages no matter who they’re trying to exploit. It does not bother me that anyone is hiring illegal immigrants specifically.

      • ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one
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        4 months ago

        But, but it’s not the poor employers fault for taking advantage of illegal immigrants. That would be very unfair to our glorious job creators. /s

    • Eezyville@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      It’s a bit more than that. ICE can act outside the constitution within 100 miles of the border. We’ve really only seen this with warrantless searches but that’s gonna expand.

    • Mamdani_Da_Savior@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      O, we did this…and we decreased our revenue through tax cuts…while we sorta made up for that by fucking over millions of Americans in the process…but…the rich…will be richer…so thats nice.

  • baratheon@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Its incredible what people will support with actual money and loss of freedom if they are sold racist lies

  • Psiczar@aussie.zone
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    4 months ago

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

    • null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      4 months ago

      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.

      • Zink@programming.dev
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        4 months ago

        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
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          4 months ago

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

    • andros_rex@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      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
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        4 months ago

        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.world
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        4 months ago

        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
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          4 months ago

          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.world
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            4 months ago

            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.

    • Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca
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      4 months ago

      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
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        4 months ago

        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.

    • Todd_cross@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      4 months ago

      If Democrats win the house and Senate at midterms and have a veto proof majority in the Senate, then yeah, maybe they could pass a new bill that repeals all these things.

      If they don’t have a veto proof majority, then Trump will just veto it.

  • WoodScientist@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    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.

    • bestboyfriendintheworld@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      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.

    • 🍉 Albert 🍉@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      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,

    • bradorsomething@ttrpg.network
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      4 months ago

      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.