Due to the various controversies surrounding ICE agents, many people have questioned how the DHS is hiring these officers. Critics have even argued that ICE is currently filled with hateful, racist, and even criminal individuals who are drawn to the power that being an ICE agent gives. A recent incident in Minnesota made this fear of ICE feel real for some people. The Bloomington Police recently launched an undercover operation in Minnesota to arrest people related to sex trafficking. Among those taken into custody was Rashad Johnson, who actually works as a backgrounder for ICE, Homeland Security, and federal agencies.
In a press conference, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges shared the situation with the public, saying that this was the most disturbing arrest they have ever had. He explained how the ICE-linked suspect actually had a pretty high clearance, which gave him quite a large amount of power, and then the man went to Minnesota to purchase sex. The police chief sighed deeply after stating that and said that the man was now in jail and that it was unlikely he was going to pass any future background checks.
When the internet heard that an ICE-linked suspect was arrested in Minnesota, people expressed a mix of shock and outrage. Many were angry but not overly surprised, as they argued that with the way ICE agents have been acting, it would be more surprising if there were no criminals working at ICE or DHS. “Like this wasn’t already on everyone’s bingo card,” one user said.
Some users said that this incident in Minnesota just showed the real reason why ICE agents try their best to hide their identities. “I mean, what could go wrong, setting masked, armed men with no meaningful training and no vetting loose on the populace? They tell us we must comply with orders from any unidentified masked man with a gun who shows up at our door or on the street, has no warrant, and only pretends to be enforcing immigration law,” one Redditor commented.
Others found it ironic that possible criminals were now going around detaining people whom they claimed to be terrorists and dangerous, just because they were immigrants. “Since we now know that only 14% of people detained by ICE have criminal records, I’d love to know the percentage of ICE agents that have one,” one user wrote.
A handful of users said that people should just pay attention to how ICE and DHS were hiring people, and then they wouldn’t be surprised that disturbing incidents keep happening in Minnesota. “An ICE/Homeland Security contractor arrested for sex trafficking. That’s what happens when recruitment follows Wagner-style logic: quotas, bonuses, debt relief. They hired predators to arrest ordinary people. Just look at their recruitment site,” one user said.
