The thing I worry most about ICE Raids – State Police Firing on ICE Agents

One danger understated with the aggressive ICE raids and the detriotating relationship between the states and federal government is the risk of accidental or intentional gun fire between different agencies. Both have a responsibility to protect the public, but as political and policy motives depart, increasingly different law enforcement agencies may find themselves on opposite sides of a gun.

The risk of a ICE agent or state policeman getting killed by the other agency is only growing. If there is a lot of public outrage after such a situation, then it’s likely their would be an arrest and trial, potentially with the states and feds ending up on the opposite sides in court. While people assume federal superiority, it’s not clear that’s how it would work out – and there is always the risk of Civil War between a state and feds.

Maybe the risk of Civil War is overstated. Trump has less then three years left in his presidency at this point, and it’s almost certain whoever replaces him will be less aggressive towards the states. Cooler heads can prevail. It’s not that I’m embracing the abuses of ICE, but I do worry that a Civil War could impact are far greater slice of the population then the more limited operations of ICE harassing and abusing both immigrants and citizens. The current policy is not good but outright war and shooting between the feds and states would be far more harmful to public at large.