I was witness to a customer and a colleague talking about things they saw on the television. As documented in this space, I do not have cable, nor do I partake in watching much more than, call it an hour a week. I think 90% of what is on said virtual babysitter is propaganda one way or the other. That includes Fox News.
They got to talking today, saying there are reports of people impersonating ICE agents and how it is impossible to know what is real and not. Since all ICE agents are masked, anyone could impersonate them, right? Right? The said the agents can bust down your door or shoot you while driving by… because they can! They can detain you and ask questions later. They were roused about how the shootings were not necessary and were entirely avoidable. I had to get up and take a long trip to the bathroom as this was unreal. But this is a reminder we live amongst the sheep; you view the tv for hours on end and think it is gospel truth.
This is why I am glad to be a libertarian; I will break down how the above is not true at all.
First of all, a warrant is required to enter your house by force (aka kicking the door down.) ICE agents, while masked, must still present valid ID documentation if asked. They also cannot enter your property via a locked gate, again, unless they have a warrant or are chasing you (the illegal criminal) on foot or by car.
If you are stupid enough to open your door for someone you don’t recognize, or feel has dubious credentials, you deserve your fate! There is nothing wrong with asking for someone’s credentials or flat out not answering the door. I don’t. If I’m not expecting you, you either better be dropping something off, or beat it. I will not allow entry!
Again, they need a warrant to operate. They cannot and do not operate in a vacuum like the folks on cable TV will have you believe. When ICE shows up to do a raid, they are usually looking for one or more people, who are here illegally, who have criminal records, and missed their court date. Read the sentence again. They do not simply raid the local Home Depot parking lot, that’s a lie. Also, this may be news to our California readers, but some cities and counties DO cooperate with ICE. When a person is arrested and it turns out they are here illegally, they can be turned over to ICE that night! Other times the person is picked up for a crime like; DUI, domestic violence, battery, or theft and when discovered is also turned over to ICE.
Regarding the statements about people in the home/car also being arrested and deported that is a thing also. It’s also legal. Choose your friends wisely! Folks, if I am in the car with a criminal illegal alien, I too can expect to be detained for questioning, just like if I was hiding someone in my house; in which case you can kick my door down! See how that works? I’m shielded from the law if I am doing nothing wrong, such protections do not exist when I am harboring a fugitive from the law! Folks, no judge will issue a bench warrant for failure to appear if you missed a hearing about a speeding ticket, these people are the worst of the worst.
Now regarding the part about shooting illegal criminal aliens. Again, what you are seeing on tv are clips from the incidents are formatted and condensed to fit a narrative. In the case of the women who tried to make a getaway in her car and was shot 3 times, it is hard to argue that she was a saint. She was agitating officers all day and was told to exit the car! She made a choice, that choice was suicide by cop! The other person who was killed, again, was agitating and out of control. He even brandished what appeared to be a weapon. I never am happy or will defend the shotting of someone, but come on, in both cases it was extremely avoidable.
The only commentary I will provide to defend the ICE agents is this. They have a very thankless job. They are vilified by the news/print/radio media constantly. They have been doxed (identity given to the public) and had their/spouses/family’s lives threatened by deranged whackos. They are doing their jobs. Oh, and the current President ran on this exact agenda. It should not be a surprise. Folks speaking again as a libertarian, the law gives wide latitude to peace (police type) officers when they are involved in a shooting. If said officer claims they feared for their life, or thought they saw a gun, they typically have the right to use deadly force, even in a state like California. It is not smart at all to agitate someone who is wearing a badge and carrying a gun, especially when they can use and apply deadly force as they see fit. I would not want to be hoping that officer is having a good day while I taunt him mercilessly.
Last point, I overheard the 90-day guy saying, “how come they can’t just shoot them in the leg?” This is a typical, highly uneducated response that I have come to expect from a “California Conservative.” First, you are not trained to shoot someone in the leg. Tell me you haven’t shot a gun before without telling me you haven’t shot a gun before. No gun range has the ability to get you to shoot someone in the leg, it’s a small target! Hence you aim for the center mass (the torso). Law enforcement is trained to only discharge their weapon to protect lives and property; think self-defense. This is the difference between cops and soldiers. The other aspect of a police shooting that he doesn’t have the ability to comprehend is, until the threat is considered neutralized, the medics cannot give the victim medical attention. So, to lay it out, shooting the person in the leg will likely just cause them to bleed out anyway. Trust me most of the time when there is an officer involved shooting, the criminal is very well known, and the police planned for this likely happening.
The Chief