Defund the Secret Police

Begin with the horrible Oklahoma City story April 29 of federal agents breaking into a home using a warrent listing people who departed the address weeks prior. The current family, terrorized, losing possessions and thousands in cash savings, are made to stand outside their new home, in the rain, wearing only underware while agents ransack. As horrible as this raid is, its relevence goes well beyond the apparent incompetence and callous indifference into something much worse.

The victim, identified as Marissa, could not get identifying information from any officer. Moreover, as quoted in the KFOR local news, “Marissa said the men identified themselves as federal agents with the U.S. Marshals, ICE, and the FBI.” But this is not true, if you believe what the Marshal Service and the FBI said in response to requests for comment from KFOR and MSNBC’s Rachael Maddow. Those agencies claim no part in the raid.

HSI as secret police

Who did it? A clue was on the top of the confiscated items inventory form left behind—HSI. What is HSI? Homeland Security Investigations. The second largest federal law enforcement agency, only behind the FBI. Ever heard of them? I have a Masters in Public Administration and lived in the DC area since 2001 and had not. On paper, HSI is the criminal investigation division for ICE—so why not tell Marissa that while ransacking her house?

So, why no HSI jackets and business cards? Why pretend to be from other agenciesy? How would anyone know an officer today, identifying as FBI or a U.S. Marshal, is not actually an HSI agent? Put simply—why lie?

One reason to lie is to keep the public off the scent of true intentions. If you cannot link events through one guilty agency, understanding the campaign is much more difficult. Another is to erode trust and instill fear. Anyone could be HSI, in spite of what they may say. You can get snatched up from a street corner and neither you nor any witness know exactly who did the snatching, Mysteries are much more frightening.

Time to defund

Up to now, I never saw a “Defund the Police” slogan as effective. While it makes sense to a progressive base, for the uninitiated it reads like lawlessness—and this gives our opponents an opportunty to attack our position.

But this is different. HSI is a Secret Police, lying about who they are as they oppress. For Marissa, they were also incompetent, but still full-on pretending to be other people while they thought everyone at home was undoucmented. The inventory clue left behind may well have been a mistake that, like Signalgate, let us see behind the curtian of what Trump is planning.

So, today, break out the signs and march to DEFUND THE SECRET POLICE. Our tax dollara must not be spent on an agency who lies so to steal constitutional rights. I believe even the inintiated will understand.

Friends of Marissa have set up a GoFundMe page to help the family through these times. Verified by KFOR in Oklahoma City.

While many horrible things happen so many people under this Trump Occupation, Marissa’s family have a particular need because MAGA will hound them for years, even after Trump is gone, simply because they spoke up.