Key West Lou / BEWARE OF ICE…..GET RID OF ICE AS PRESENTLY CONSTITUTED

As an authoritarian figure, Trump wanted a quasi-military force he could rely on. Such would be his first line of defense if personally endangered. A group of this nature would also exist for intimidation purposes.

Trump selected ICE to be that baby, his baby.

ICE is short for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is part of the Department of Homeland Security. It is the largest investigative group within the DHS.

Ice was born in 2003. One of its duties to deal with border/immigration issues. They were a so so federal agency till Trump’s election in 2016.

Trump had a concern. Loyalty was most important to him. He needed a small band of marauders he could rely on to do as he dictated. To be his personal enforcement group.

He selected ICE. Made sure budget funds in significant amounts ended up in ICE. Selected a certain brand of persons to work as ICE agents.

Recall Trump’s first wife Ivana. She has mentioned several times over the years that Trump kept in a drawer at his beside Hitler authored and other Nazi books.

Such was his bed time reading most evenings.

Trump wanted ICE to be his Gestapo unit. Loyal first and solely to him. To do that he wished as he wished

Trump succeeded.

I have written and discussed many times my fear of ICE. That it constituted an increasing danger.

If there was any question n my mind, it was put to rest the first time I saw ICE agents. Their mere appearance was enough to strike fear in a person.

Following some natural disaster (not Irma), many Key Westers were without living accommodations, water, food, etc. FEMA came in to provide such items to those in need. Persons deprived because of the disaster. What FEMA delivered was good, needed, and appreciated.

I am a curious animal. I wanted to see the operation. To understand first hand how the disaster was being handled. In the large parking lot behind the Fire Station on Simonton, huge tents had been erected. Chairs available. Social areas also available also under tents.

People were assassinated with paperwork, provided helpful information, etc.

All went well. I was impressed. My government was there and helping!

I enjoy walking around to see what is going on. I did so on 2 occasions at the FEMA site.

What failed to impress me were the ICE agents who I assume were there to make sure trouble did not erupt.

They scared me! All I could think of was Hitler’s Gestapo.

The agents were all the same. Tight muscle bound bodies. Fair skinned/white. Primarily blonds. Each agent’s hair a crew cut. Not in recent day fashion. Rather the crew cut of many years ago. Roughly one inch tall. Stood straight up.

The men were dressed in dark green uniforms. Each carrying a side arm that was intimidating in itself. I know nothing about guns. These were big pistols for want of another description. One sitting on each agent’s hip.

It was obvious I did not belong. I was not signing up for anything. Knew no one. No one talked with me nor did I try to engage in conversation with anyone. I merely walked around looking.

The ICE agents apparently became concerned. Who is this guy? They started following me each time I was there. Never got close enough to engage me in conversation. I had no desire to speak with them.

Recall that point in the Trump era when he had immigration people going to major cities to weed out illegal immigrants. ICE accompanied the agents. The up front guys were not ICE. ICE’s function was to stand in the streets looking up at the building the immigration people were in. Intimidation time.

Immediately prior to Trump leaving office, he had the DHS enter into an agreement with ICE’s union (would you believe) giving the union the ability/power to indefinitely delay the implementation of any new policies affecting ICE.

The agreement provided in effect the union ran ICE and not the DHS or Biden. Changes had to be made.

Trump’s purpose was to give him himself control over ICE after he was out of office. Sort of controlling things from the gave.

Got to give Biden credit. He recognized what Trump had set up. He was not going to tolerate it.

Biden almost immediately upon taking office had the DHS nullify the agreement with the Union. The grounds were that the agreement was not negotiated in the interests of the DHS nor was it in alignment with existing law.

And that is where it stands.

There are other problems as a practical matter. DHS has to transfer, terminate or in some fashion get rid of the ICE agents whose boots stomped in step with Trump. Replace them with agents who understand what democratic immigration and any other type enforcement calls for.

In short, get the Trump inspired bullies out!

Speaking of Trump. his stock seems to be going down every day. He lost the fraudulent election ballot cases, is threatening to sue the National Republican Party if they use his picture or name for fund raising, and the reception Trump received sunday night as he arrived at Trump Towers. Trump Towers was a what goes around comes around situation.

Key West and the lower Keys have been a U.S. Navy base for various purposes since well before World War II. Sometimes a bomb or other type explosive is found from days long gone by.

Such was the case on Fleming Key.

Yesterday, a 250 pound World War II era bomb was disposed of by U.S. Navy Ordinate Disposal. They blew it up.

Safety not a problem. The U.S. Coast Guard maintained a safety perimeter around the area.

A job well done. Not the first rodeo so to speak for our professional military persons. This bomb discovery thing is somewhat of a frequent occurrence.

Enjoy your day!

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