""We've kind of gotten what we want, right? There's no reason to fucking protest," Enrique Tarrio, a longtime leader of the Proud Boys, told me earlier this week over the phone while he was taking a minute to charge his Tesla. We were speaking about why his group had receded from the streets. His answer: He no longer felt compelled to show up with other Proud Boys to fight left-wing protesters, because the federal government was doing the job itself."
"And indeed, groups of armed men have been roaming the streets intimidating immigrants, violently confronting protesters, and claiming an authority beyond the purview of state or local law enforcement. This time, though, the men belong to the Department of Homeland Security's mass-deportation teams. Their tactics bear striking similarities to those of the Proud Boys and other militias that showed up in U.S. cities during Trump's first term."
Federal immigration enforcement has increasingly deployed large teams of armed agents in U.S. cities, using tactics and attire similar to extremist militias. Some Proud Boys leaders view federal action as reducing their need to patrol streets and confront left-wing protesters. Presidential pardons and commutations for January 6 rioters enabled the resurgence of militia-style groups and normalized paramilitary displays. Department of Homeland Security mass-deportation teams have appeared in tactical gear, confronting immigrants and protesters while asserting authority beyond local law enforcement. About 3,000 federal agents operated in Minneapolis, and operations produced catastrophic outcomes. Homeland Security's official mandate centers on border protection, immigration enforcement, and deportation.
Read at The Atlantic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]