Inherited Colonial Enforcement

The evolution from slave patrols to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a stark reminder of how institutions designed to control and oppress specific populations have adapted and persisted over time. This is not a history of isolated incidents but a continuous thread of systemic racism and marginalization. It is crucial to recognize this legacy to understand the present and work towards a more just future. We must call these agents what they are: confederates of the 21st century. They are not Nazis; that steals the identity of the Black community and the horrors they faced. These are confederates, and we must call them out as such.

Let’s start in 1704, in South Carolina, where the first slave patrols were established. These were civilian militias tasked with monitoring and controlling the enslaved population. Their purpose was to prevent slave revolts, capture runaway slaves, and maintain the institution of slavery by suppressing any form of resistance or escape. Patrols used violence, intimidation, and surveillance to control the enslaved population. They were given broad powers to search, seize, and punish without due process. These patrols were the precursors to modern policing and immigration enforcement.

After the Civil War, the Black Codes were enacted to control the newly-freed slaves. These laws restricted the movement and labor of Black people, effectively re-enslaving them. Vigilante groups like the Ku Klux Klan emerged to enforce these codes through violence and intimidation. They operated with impunity, often with the tacit approval of local law enforcement. These groups laid the groundwork for the Jim Crow era and the modern-day confederates who continue to target marginalized communities.

Imagine the fear and desperation of newly-freed slaves, only to find themselves trapped in a system that denied them basic rights and freedoms. The Black Codes and vigilante groups ensured that the promise of freedom was nothing more than a cruel joke.

Jim Crow laws institutionalized racial segregation and disenfranchisement. Law enforcement agencies, including police departments, were often complicit in enforcing these discriminatory practices. Lynchings, racial profiling, and brutal policing tactics were used to maintain white supremacy and control the Black population. These laws and practices created a culture of fear and oppression that persists to this day.

As millions of Black Americans moved from the rural South to Northern cities seeking better opportunities during the Great Migration, increased racial tension and policing in urban areas followed. Police departments in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York became increasingly militarized, using aggressive tactics to control Black communities. The “war on crime” became a euphemism for the war on Black people. This period saw the rise of stop-and-frisk policies, aggressive patrolling, and the criminalization of poverty.

In 1924, the Border Patrol was established as part of the U.S. Department of Labor to enforce immigration laws along the Mexican border. Initially, the Border Patrol focused on preventing illegal immigration and smuggling. However, it quickly became involved in racial profiling and the deportation of Mexican Americans. The Border Patrol used military-style tactics, including surveillance, raids, and deportations, to control the border and enforce immigration laws. This marked the beginning of modern immigration enforcement, which has always been intertwined with racial bias and discrimination.

In 1954, Operation Wetback was a large-scale deportation operation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The operation aimed to deport undocumented Mexican immigrants from the United States. The INS used aggressive tactics, including mass roundups and deportations, to remove undocumented immigrants. The operation was criticized for its harsh treatment of immigrants and lack of due process. This operation set a precedent for future mass deportations and the criminalization of immigration.

The INS was created to consolidate immigration enforcement functions under a single agency. The INS was responsible for enforcing immigration laws, including the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. The INS used a combination of surveillance, raids, and detention to enforce immigration laws. The agency was often criticized for its harsh treatment of immigrants and lack of due process. The INS laid the groundwork for modern immigration enforcement, which continues to target and marginalize immigrant communities.

Finally, in 2003, ICE was created as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ICE is responsible for enforcing federal laws related to border control, customs, trade, and immigration. It combines the functions of the former INS, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Federal Protective Service. ICE uses a wide range of tactics, including surveillance, raids, detention, and deportation, to enforce immigration laws. The agency has been criticized for its aggressive enforcement practices, including family separations and the detention of children.

The modern-day ICE agents are the confederates of the 21st century. They are the latest iteration of a long line of institutions designed to control, marginalize, and oppress specific populations. From the slave patrols of the antebellum South to the Border Patrol of the 20th century, these agencies have adapted their methods and rhetoric to fit the times, but their fundamental purpose remains the same: to maintain a system of racial and economic hierarchy.

We must not be fooled by the changing names and faces of these institutions. The confederates of today wear badges and uniforms, but their actions are rooted in the same racist ideologies that have plagued this country for centuries. It is time to call them out for what they are and demand accountability.

We owe it to the generations who have suffered under these oppressive systems to fight for a better future. We must stand up against the confederates of the 21st century and demand justice, equality, and dignity for all. It is time to break the chain of systemic racism and oppression and create a more just and equitable society for everyone. Organize!

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