Horrible Politics

ICE Changes Tactics to Infiltrate Protest Groups

Be careful out there

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As a member of a group that has been fighting unfair policing for 200 years, I recognize that there has been a change in tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, aka ICE. Phase one of their plan is over. It is time for phase two.

I spent my teenage years growing up on 72nd and Stoney Island in Chicago. The Black Panthers had a place on 63rd Street, and the main Black Muslim Mosque of the Nation of Islam was on 76th and Stoney. As the daughter of a cop, I could not join either group, but other family members and friends could.

I Saw Him, and He Saw Me

I attended many meetings where I was welcomed because back then, both groups advocated creating warriors for the fight. To make warriors, you need women.

I volunteered my skills for the free breakfast program and the health clinics run by the Black Panthers. I covered my head and wore no makeup to attend services at the mosque with my friends.

Understanding what the authorities were planning day to day was a significant part of each group's organizing each week. The new tactics and strategies of the police were a major topic at these meetings.

I will never forget seeing one of my father's cop friends at a meeting. He recognized me, and I recognized him. Neither of us said anything, but he left immediately, knowing he had been busted. I never told anyone, but he did not know that. If I had seen him again, I would have busted him out.

Disguised Agents, Real Consequences

Once the authorities have established a “look” about themselves, they use people’s expectations to trick them into inviting them into their groups.

ICE has made sure we all know their uniform: masks, military-style clothing in brown or gray, enormous weapons displayed in plain sight, along with very aggressive attitudes. Everyone knows how to look for those attributes to identify ICE. That, my fellow Americans, is the key to the next stage of their plan.

ICE uses our expectations to trick us into telling them our plans. They are changing their strategies to blend into crowds and gain access to information on where immigrants are and how to arrest protestors.

The Agency That Doesn’t Want You to Know It’s There

Law enforcement is already monitoring protesters’ social media communications.

Here is exactly what ICE has been doing differently:

1. Many agents are no longer wearing face masks. Instead, they are wearing baseball caps and sunglasses. In cold-weather areas, they wear beanies or wool caps with pom-poms to soften their look and blend in with protestors.

2. They are changing the military-style clothing to normal hoodies, jackets, blue jeans, and puffy coats.

**3. **The camouflage clothing is gone, replaced with blue jeans or khaki pants. They see what clothing the people in the area are wearing and adjust to match.

4. Using the clothing disguise, they are infiltrating planning meetings, especially the rapid response teams, being set up to observe and film ICE actions.

5. They are disguising their vehicles with Uber or Lyft stickers so that they won’t be identified. The ICE agents pretended to be ride-share drivers.

6. They know not to rent vehicles. They have taught protestors to look for the black or white vans with cages in the back.

Instead, they are contracting with local businesses to use their vehicles so they will not be easily spotted in the neighborhoods. No one will pay attention to a plumbing truck from a local business. That business van can park in front of a home for hours without attracting attention.

**7.** A new favorite disguise is as construction workers, with maintenance workers being a close second. These two changes allow them to observe people without anyone paying attention. Construction workers are constantly watching passersby.

8. ICE, trying to pass as protectors, has worn the orange whistles that people used to alert others that ICE was in the area. Protesters will assume anyone with a whistle is one of them.

9. They have joined chat groups to know where to go and what protestors are planning to do if attacked. ICE is feeding worthless information to these groups. They’re throwing them off guard and intimidating protesters.

10. There have been rumors of ICE renting apartments in immigrant neighborhoods to establish themselves as legitimate residents and gather information about the families.

*11. *ICE is using school emails to entice people in need with the promise of help, including free food and reduced housing costs. All they have to do is come to a certain address. The address is the location of a trap to capture them. Some schools have instructed families to use only counselors the school has verified, as these places are traps.

12. Agents are befriending protest leaders to learn what the next move is. My advice is to make few new friends these days, especially if you are planning to be an observer.

ICE Blurs the Line Between Safety and Deception

How do we combat this relentless disguise of true intentions?

We know they want information about your family, friends, and neighbors. These days, your reaction is to be cautious and careful as you exercise your First, Second, or Fourth Amendment rights. Protesters must pay attention to the actions of those around them.

We cannot be so paranoid that protesting becomes an exercise in pushing people away. Our strength is in our numbers. Neither can protestors be naïve nor talk about their plans. Open chat groups that suspect they have been infiltrated should form side groups with known and trusted leaders to strategize and disseminate the information in a well-controlled and limited distribution fashion.

If approached by a person who seems a bit too curious about who, what, when, and where things are happening, don’t spill your guts to random strangers. Don’t talk about others.

If you want to tell others exactly what you are doing, do so, but don’t discuss what anyone else is doing. If you suspect that a disguised agent is near you, record them.

Capture them on video; if it is just a protester, they will not care. Protesters these days know our government is recording them, and infiltrators do not want to be recorded. Once their cover is blown, they become less effective.

Overall, ICE’s changing tactics create a conundrum, making it harder for Americans to stand up to our government. That is the point. The more suspicion and doubt they can sow, the easier it is to control American citizens. It is up to protestors to be vigilant without losing their passion for the fight.

Yes, it is hard, and a few ICE agitators will slip through, but that is fine as long as we can still show we care for one another. There is nothing we can do about their attempts to infiltrate except be aware and still do what we need to do to protect our fellow Americans.

Good luck.

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