ICE and the Border Patrol have never had much due process or lawfulness, but it was mostly hidden. Obama’s rate of deportation was almost as high as Trump’s, but it was done more quietly and in a more targeted manner. But Trump has changed all of that. The current situation is violent, deadly, lawless, visible and impossible to ignore.
I highly recommend reading this recent New York Times opinion article about the history of the Border Patrol as lawless and racist. It was created 100 years ago “to preserve racial type as it exists here today”.
Individual agents have always had arbitrary discretion of how to treat legal immigrants, denying entry with no due process at all.
The current outrageous situation has driven millions of Americans into the streets to protest. Here are my photos from one recent protest near Leadbetter Beach along Shoreline Drive. Here are my videos.
One of the organizers (Michal) wanted me to know that a small gathering on Leadbetter Beach spontaneously exploded into this mass protest, full of exuberant energy. Completely peaceful, but very loud and upbeat. And filled with young people as well as the usual older crowd.
When I arrived, I stood on a rock in the median of Shoreline Drive and took this video for several minutes, showing the positive energy.
Here are a few photos I got while I was standing there.
These people drove by carrying signs reading:
ICE: Inhumane – Corrupt – Evil
This only ends with OUR COURAGE/YOUR RAGE
These motorists displayed welcoming messages:
LOVE MELTS ICE
THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME
HATE DOESN’T MAKE US GREAT
This gentleman waved this streamer, adding to the positive energy.
I then walked to the far end of the crowd and got this video as I walked back.
And here are some photos I got along the way.
A family showing their support.
ARE WE GREAT YET?
ONE DAY EVERYONE WILL HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST THIS
IF YOUR ONLY OPTION IS COMPLY OR DIE YOU ARE NOT FREE
A continuation of the playful and creative Portland frog protests. (Someone in a frog outfit had been gassed for no reason there.)
If you don’t know what this means, you need more Spanish-speaking friends!
A lot of signs involving melting ICE!
Including a reference to the Climate Crisis.
I love the creativity of this woman. The entire US was anti-fascist during WWII and many of my family risked their lives in Europe in that fight. Only Trump could turn this “antifa” (anti-fascist) fight into something bad.
This sign is probably correct, by all evidence. ICE has been recruiting from the bottom of the barrel of people with little education and training who are otherwise unemployable. What could possibly go wrong to give these people deadly weapons and total immunity from prosecution or even investigation?
Here are a few more signs!
RESIST LIKE IT IS 1938 GERMANY! It took the Nazis one month and three weeks to dismantle a constitutional republic. Reject Fascists!
To stay informed about upcoming events, this Women’s March Santa Barbara Facebook page is a good place to start.
MAGAcans always complain about how old the protestors are – seeing lots and lots of young faces in this video. MAGAcrats always need something to feel angry about – their own lives have become so delicate that they depend on rage to make them feel alive. MAGAcans blame their own shortcomings on their perceived enemies “Immigrants, science, education, democrats, minorities, the LGBTQ community …. and many more”.
I was walking by there and witnessed and then joined in this event. It was very inspirational, and it was great to see so many young people taking action.
What you are saying is the deporting is OK, just the methods need to be changed.
RUBY – Holy cow! Yes! I think you got it! Deporting people with violent criminal records (more than just jaywalking) who are here without documentation is 100% OK with EVERYONE. Harassing, beating, and killing people with no criminal records at all who are working hard to provide a life for their families while contributing billions of dollars in taxes each year should be left alone and allowed to obtain legal residence in some way or another and most of them ARE working on their cases.
This is why Trump is so different from Obama.
@rubaiyat I think the point is that ICE/Border Patrol has always operated outside any due process. Trump just turned it up to 11. The New York Times article linked to at the start of this article is really worth reading. Have you read it yet?
Look at all those stupid old hippies.
Nope; the hippies, at least the stupid ones, went MAGA long ago.
Let’s bring our babies to a protest. Wonderful family time🤣
You bathe in your white privilege
out of all of the possible things to comment on, you target a mother and her child? Grow up, act like a man. She has every right to be there with her child. what on earth is your problem with someone bringing their child with them? I bring my kids to every protest and rally possible. Many of us do. Maybe if you had kids of your own, and have walked in her shoes, you can comment.
I have children. I would never expose them to possible dangerial
HAMMONDS – what dangerials are you concerned about at a peaceful protest of government violence? If you’re really worried about dangerials, I’d keep your kids away from the white racists and bigots you seem to hang out with.
There was no danger. You know why? ICE wasn’t there.
> I would never expose them to possible danger[…]
They’re exposed to *you*.
Yeah, it’s definitely better to have them holding a gun in the family picture on the Christmas card. 🙄
/s
You missed the sarcasm, grp. (Understandable since you’re new here and aren’t familiar with Alex’s views.)
“ICE is Watching You”. This was never about immigration or crime. It is all about wanting total control of all Americans at all times. Please read this New York Times article that explains what is really going on.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/opinion/ice-surveillance-protesters.html?unlocked_article_code=1.JVA.732N.y6n86K8OqTmn&smid=url-share
And please read that article I referenced above that explains the true history of border and immigration enforcement.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/opinion/border-patrol-ice-minneapolis.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IFA.8-Ad.Edk8w3YaifWX&smid=url-share
Thank you all for the lively discussion!
I I stand with ICE. It’s the law.
Call 866-DHS-2ICE. Hard to believe we have to fight to keep America safe from people who broke the law to get here.
Hell, we elected a felon as president, and he and his fascist cronies encouraging lawless behavior by ICE. That’s what you ignorant dupes should be worried about.
HONEST – why do you need “protection” gardeners, laborers, chefs, US servicemembers, and other hard working tax paying undocumented immigrants? Why you so scared of them?
People who post the ICE hotline are no better than the people who ratted out Jews in 1930s Germany.
You should be ashamed of your ignorance, hate and cowardice.
Truly shameful of you to post that snitch-bigot’s hotline phone number.
Honestly, anyone who supports the current behavior of ICE does not know anything about immigration law, or is simply a racial bigot/white nationalist, and obviously could easily be both. ICE violates constitutional law with woeful regularity and blatantly uses racial profiling to trigger their operations. Barack Obama deported or disallowed the entry of millions of immigrants, (remember “deporter in chief”?), and yet was never accused of racism and cruelty. That’s because at that time DHS, ICE, and CPB were basically law-abiding and acted like professional law enforcement, and that’s what is different now. Federal leadership is now rife with blatant and overt racism (Miller, Noem, and Trump), untethered from facts and reality (‘they’re eating the pets!’), and continually ignore judges’ orders and violate the U.S. Constitution. The Department of Homeland Security, which runs ICE and CPB, is now running on a philosophy of racial hate and profound stupidity.
Let me remind you that the Constitution is the mother of all US laws, so when you blithely and with a fully ignorant chest say “it’s the law” referring to the current behavior of ICE you are placing yourself in the center ring of the toxic circus of uninformed, racial bigots running the country and on the horrifically wrong side of history.
@Honest Lies As others have said, ICE is a completely lawless operation now. This has nothing to do with immigrants or law enforcement. It is all about terrorizing anyone who might dissent from a deranged wannabe dictator.
You stand with murderers and kidnappers–former Proud Boys and J6 insurrectionists pardoned by the criminal-in-chief, Dishonest Lie.