The actions of ICE and border patrol are becoming more unhinged by the day, with the most recent incident happening in West Palm Beach, Florida. It seems that agents don’t discriminate against age, as this one targeted a teen amongst a crowd of onlookers. The agent was overtly aggressive, not only stealing a personal affect, but taunting the teen on top of it.
In the video posted on Reddit, the camera shows the border patrol agent in full view. The teenager stands just out of frame, presumably holding a phone. Whether he’s recording or simply holding his phone remains unclear. What is clear is the way the border patrol agent rips it out of the boy’s hand, slamming it to the ground in the process.
As he does this, those standing around the teen begin yelling. We hear things like, “y’all came to the right city,” and “You can’t do that.” As they continue to shout, the agent stands with his arms open, in a defensive posture, mocking the onlookers. If nothing else, the border patrol agent undoubtedly broke a law by taking something from a citizen. Not to mention, the device was likely damaged in the act. While his anger was palpable, it didn’t deter a crowd from following him and his fellow agent to their vehicle.
As the two climb into the SUV, the camera pans across the side of the truck. There, the phrase “Honor First” is written on the door. This has become the butt of many jokes about ICE and border patrol, brought on by the hypocrisy of their actions.
In the Reddit comments, many called out the agent’s illegal actions. Others remarked about their inability to stay out of school districts and away from families. “Doing that without body armor is certainly a choice,” says one Reddit user, commenting on the man’s taunting without any protective clothing.
Another chimed in, saying, “These guys all act like they’re trying to provoke a response. They desperately want martial law. I’m hoping that if they ever get what they want, they’ll regret it.” To this, one user replied, “They were probably told to get killed to give Trump a reason to enact martial law. And somehow they thought it was alright to die for their ‘dear leader.‘” While these reactions are all largely speculative, it’s hard to deny it.
