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The term “paramilitary” has negative connotations all over the world, conjuring up security forces from Haiti to Russia involved in domestic killings and repressing political dissent. Lately, many critics of ICE, formally known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement, have been calling it a paramilitary group.
This raised a question in my mind: Is it fair or even accurate to refer to ICE, or other U.S. agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol, as paramilitary groups?
For answers, I turned to Erica De Bruin, an expert at Hamilton College on security operations and militarized policing. She makes it clear that ICE fits most – but not all – of the standard definitions of paramilitaries.
ICE may be a long way from acting like some of the worst paramilitaries seen in other countries, but its form and relative lack of accountability are relatively new to the U.S. That’s one reason its controversial actions have drawn such stark criticism from many citizens and some members of Congress.
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Protesters confront federal agents near the scene where Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
AP Photo/Adam Grey
Erica De Bruin, Hamilton College
ICE, created in response to 9/11, meets most definitions of paramilitary forces. Critics worry it’s gone beyond its writ of immigration enforcement.
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Politics + Society
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Mehr Mumtaz, The Ohio State University
After a failed US intervention exposed Afghan civilians to Taliban threats, Washington is retreating from its humanitarian obligations.
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Kaitlyn M. Sims, University of Denver
A lack of shelters and affordable housing means survivors of domestic violence have few places to go.
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Science + Technology
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Christopher Hernandez, Loyola University Chicago
Aerial lidar raises ethical questions because it can collect data remotely without the knowledge or consent of Indigenous and descendant populations that are on the ground.
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Health + Medicine
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Carolyn Dickens, University of Illinois Chicago
Nurses are leaving the profession faster than they’re being replaced – in part due to the emotional and physical toll they endure from disrespectful patients or their loved ones.
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Education
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Heidi Reynolds-Stenson, Colorado State University Pueblo
When protesters experience repression and violence, whether or not they have legal education can help determine continued involvement in a protest movement.
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Environment + Energy
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Hengrui Liu, Tufts University; Kelly Sims Gallagher, Tufts University
Electric vehicles are a fast-growing share of auto sales in many countries, and Chinese automakers are benefiting as the US industry pulls back.
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Janet McCabe, Indiana University
In the world of cost benefit analysis, if an impact isn’t monetized, it doesn’t exist. A former EPA official explains what’s changing now and why it matters.
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Roxana Shafiee, Harvard University; Harvard Kennedy School
Many homeowners could save money on their heating bills by installing heat pumps – but not everyone, and not everywhere.
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Economy + Business
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Sloan Speck, University of Colorado Boulder
Consequences will go far beyond the tax bill that businesses face, a tax law professor explains.
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