'Menacing': Chris Hayes sounds alarm on rise of 'secret police' under Trump - All In - MSNBC

[Rhiannon12866]

Chris Hayes on the growing prevalence of “secret police” in the Trump-Stephen Miller era of ICE raids: “They’re usually masked—hiding their faces—and either wearing plain clothes or irregular uniforms. They won't give their names or say what agency they're with.” - Aired on 06/05/2025.

[TommyT139]

1. Vile.

We have the right to defend ourselves again masked, warrantless, anonymous thugs who claim to be government agents. It's been proven that imposters have appeared in many states to steal, rape, and kidnap innocent people.

Lacking ID and a warrant, we must assume that bands of anonymous people are kidnappers. Self-defence is legal.

[MadameButterfly]

4. Where are you hearing about these imposters?

It is logical that this would happen. But I haven't heard these reports.
You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. If they are from the government they'll charge you for resisting.
Self defence should be legal since what they are doing is illegal (and they could be imposters) but I doubt that route will work out for us.
Somehow this has to be stopped.

[TommyT139]

7. Been happening for months

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=fake%20ICE%20agents&ko=-1&ia=web

Or use your favorite search engine. I typed fake ICE agents (no quotes).

Amazon has been selling lookalike ICE tactical gear, and there's no standard uniform anyway, even for the supposedly-"legitimate" ICE agents.

Just for examples:
Brooklyn, attempted rape
https://abc7ny.com/post/brooklyn-attempted-rape-woman-says-man-posed-ice-agent-before-attempting-sexually-assault-heights/15897592/

Florida, kidnapping
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/suffer-the-consequences-of-her-husbands-actions-woman-dressed-as-ice-officer-and-equipped-with-walkie-talkie-kidnaps-ex-boyfriends-wife-cops-say/

South Carolina, Philadelphia
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/men-two-states-are-accused-impersonating-ice-officers-rcna190446

Tons more top hits are videos, with news clips and bystander recordings, but those load slowly for me. They include California's AG warning people there, along with LA school district reports/warnings of fake ICE agents outside schools. A number of fake ICE trucks were a problem in Washington state.

California is seeing an increase in ICE agent impersonators, AG says. How to spot fakes
Read more at: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article302306749.html#storylink=cpy

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/lausd-aware-of-fake-ice-agents-approaching-students-third-day-of-school-walkouts-planned/

The ones that aren't violent crime are pure trumpist terrorism. This guy detained a group of Latino men:
https://www.9news.com.au/world/people-arrested-impersonating-ice-officers-amid-deportation-crackdown-us/3d4dbdcf-5c88-45ab-8e34-e46543ed0dd0

[MadameButterfly]

10. Wow. This is amazing

Why aren't the courts all over this?

[TommyT139]

11. A hydra of speculation...

I can imagine a lot of reasons:
* Victims may be reluctant to report crimes, if they or family might be undocumented or perceived to be so. There may be language barriers. The victims may not know what rights they actually have.
* Imposters are able to easily disguise themselves, simply by dressing in the hodgepodge of tactical gear that official ICE thugs wear. Even video evidence doesn't show a lot of clues.
* Even when local police want to track down actual ICE abductions, ICE has been reluctant to share info, or denied outright they were in the area.
* At a macro scale, especially in red state areas, the existence of imposters fulfills an actual goal of the Trump administration: to strike fear into the targeted communities.
* In cases where imposters have been caught, it seems to me that they've been really clueless, or violent to the point where police follow up as a public safety matter (for instance the attempted rape in an apartment lobby, caught on security video).

Under-reporting would likely be a major factor. The fact that there are so many turning up in the most cursory searches implies to me that those are the tip of the iceberg. Hard to prove, of course, yet impossible to disprove.

[MadameButterfly]

12. All good points

but even your searches should be enough for a major MSNBC story and Dems in Congress taking this up. This is a precursor to a Brownshirt vigilante force. If loose standards like this aren't outlawed ASAP people of color will be facing violence everywhere they go, and eventually all of us.

I wonder if reporters/legislators are torn between the need to report this and the desire not to give more people the idea.

[TommyT139]

13. That's my sense, too.

And perhaps, at a basic level, the problem could be accelerated on both sides: bad people learning how easy it is; and potential victims getting the idea to fight back, possibly resulting in injuries or fatalities -- from both imposters and trumpist gestapo.

It seems that the major media outlets only cover one or two stories at a time, always with an eye on the competition.

[gab13by13]

2. One thing about Krasnov,

I can say what I am about to say and not be hit for spreading conspiracy theories.

First of all, the goons don't wear regular uniforms, they have whatever kind of clothes underneath. Many of them have HSI on their jackets which is Homeland Security Investigators, but are those HSI official uniforms?

I have the suspicion these goons could be Erik Prince mercenaries. There was a plan leaked for Prince to deport 100,000 people for a huge sum of money.

Why doesn't a Democratic state AG, arrest these goons, detain these goons, to find out who they are? If they can't prove they are legitimate law enforcement then charge them with attempted kidnapping.

The AG should get a SWAT team to detain these goons.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Excellent suggestion, but it would have to be the AG of the states where these illegal kidnappings are taking place.

[MadameButterfly]

6. Agree, it is time to start arresting

anyone who doesn't properly identify themself and prove themselve to be legitimate. Of course Red State AGs won't do this. But if it happens in Blue states they'll start getting the point. The courts will have to address it.

[MagaSmash]

5. It's Here Now. SECRET POLICE IN AMERICA.

[ihaveaquestion]

8. Why should anyone recognize the authority of unidentified goons?

People should call 911 to report a kidnapping and local law enforcement should respond to protect the people's rights!

[IrishBubbaLiberal]

9. Kick

Gestapo