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The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
John Oliver on Ice's crackdown: ‘Trying to drive up arrests at all costs'
John Oliver took a hard look at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) on the latest Last Week Tonight, as more and more videos of Ice raids across US cities continue to show a brutal crackdown on undocumented people. 'For all the administration's talk of targeting dangerous criminals, the reality is very different,' Oliver started. The Trump administration has set a goal of deporting one million people per year, 'which, it's worth noting, would be more than double the previous record of 400,000 when Obama was president, which was already very high', said Oliver. 'But notably, they don't seem to be getting near their target numbers.' As of taping, the administration had deported about 280,000 people, 'so getting to a million in just six months seems very unlikely'. 'And they have backed themselves into this corner, because 'promising' to deport a million criminal migrants is one thing, but once you're in charge, you then have to find that many of them,' he continued, 'which is going to be hard if they don't exist in the numbers that you're claiming, which they don't.' 'It's like promising to apprehend 10,000 Fred Dursts a day,' he added. 'There just aren't that many out there, so either you have to admit that your target number was bullshit in the first place or you have to drastically widen your definition of what a Fred Durst is until you're eventually arresting any gen X-er wearing a hat.' 'But instead of conceding their numbers were inflated, the administration is trying to drive up arrests at all costs.' Trump aide Stephen Miller has instructed Ice agents to target Home Depots and 7-Elevens, and the agency has rapidly deputized a record number of local police to function as deportation agents. They've brought in border patrol as well as the national guard; at least a quarter of the Drug Enforcement Administration's workforce; 80% of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and even members of the US Postal Service. 'This mass reallocation of resources means that other crimes are going less policed,' Oliver explained. The FBI, for example, has instructed agents to prioritize immigration enforcement at the expense of white-collar crime and investigations into sexual abuse. 'I gotta say: for a guy who pandered so heavily to people convinced pedophiles, sex offenders and traffickers had infiltrated our government, Trump's sure making the government a lot friendlier to them,' said Oliver. 'Ghislaine Maxwell's in a nicer cell now, Lawrence Taylor's advising on kids' physical fitness. Fuck it, at this point, if he's willing to wear a Maga hat, I really don't see why Roman Polanski can't come back.' Nevertheless, 'border czar' Tom Homan claimed that 70% of those arrested by Ice were criminals, while the other 30% were national security threats who 'don't have a criminal history because they try to lay low until it's time for them to do things bad'. 'Under his logic, I guess anyone could be a national security threat,' said Oliver. But 'Homan's numbers are also nowhere near Ice's own data,' which found that only 40% of those arrested had any criminal history, including traffic infractions, and just 7% were convicted of any sort of violent crime. In fact, as of June, people with only civil or immigration violations – no criminal convictions – made up the largest percentage of arrests nationwide. 'Maybe the clearest sign that this is more about pushing up numbers than catching violent criminals on the run is that one of the key places where they're now fishing for arrests is immigration court, where people show up for their hearings,' he added. As numerous videos showed, Ice agents arrested people who showed up to process their situation legally, using a loophole that allows the government to deport people without due process if their immigration case is dismissed. 'It is the laziest possible way to juice up your numbers,' said Oliver, 'because you're targeting people who are going through the system 'in the right way' and turning them into people you can immediately arrest and deport.' This trap was among 'things the administration is doing that sure feel like they're breaking the law' but 'often aren't'. Oliver took the 'dystopian visual' of Ice agents wearing masks, which is actually legal, as no federal law prevents it. 'So they can do it, but why are they?' The administration claims that it's for their own protection, with the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, including videotaping arrests as an act of 'violence' against agents. All of this 'gets even more worrying' when one remembers that Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act contains a massive surge of funding for immigration enforcement – roughly $170bn over the next few years, some of which is set aside for the hiring of 10,000 new Ice agents. 'For what it's worth, massive rapid hiring sprees never tend to work out well,' Oliver noted. Past efforts to bolster Customs and Border Protection under George Bush ended up with hiring drug cartel members and an actual serial killer. 'And it's not a great sign for who Ice is appealing to that they're currently posting gross recruitment ads, like this fake minivan ad tagged: 'Think about how many criminal illegal aliens you could fit in this bad boy!'' he added. 'And they seem more than a little desperate already, as they've already removed age limits for hiring agents.' And this past week, Ice shared a video of their newest recruit: former Superman actor Dean Cain. 'You know, there's an old saying in Hollywood: 'If all you can get is Dean Cain, you are fucked,'' Oliver joked. 'Now, I'm not saying that Ice isn't finding people,' he continued. 'I'm just saying, when you are reduced to pinning a badge on the 59-year-old star of The Dog Who Saved Christmas, The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation, The Dog Who Saved the Holidays, The Dog Who Saved Halloween, The Dog Who Saved Easter and The Dog Who Saved Summer, maybe you are in trouble. Although, on the plus side, no need for that guy to wear a mask because the chances of anyone recognizing him are fucking zero.' So what can be done? 'As powerless as this can feel, as individuals there are still actions you can take,' said Oliver, such as recording any arrest you witness involving Ice agents. Oliver also advised that if you're approached by Ice agents, whether or not you're a citizen, 'attorneys told us the only two things you should say to them are: 'Am I free to leave?' And: 'I want to speak to a lawyer.' That's it. You have the right to remain silent. And I recognize that in some cases you may be unable to help yourself from saying: 'Didn't you used to be Superman?' 'I thought you died.' 'I can't believe I'm meeting a film-maker.' But that really is it.' 'We are still in a very grim moment,' he added. 'The rightwing narrative is that most people are rabid to punish anyone who wants to become new Americans. But that is just not true,' as new polls found 80% support a pathway to legal citizenship for undocumented immigrants. 'Nor are their bullshit claims about who's being targeted and arrested.' 'And I'm not saying that everything Ice is doing right now is illegal,' he concluded. 'What I'm saying is, a whole bunch of it feels like it really should be. And we need to change that at our earliest opportunity.'
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Dean Cain, Who Played Superman, Says He Is Joining ICE
Dean Cain, the actor who played Superman in a popular 1990s TV series, said on Wednesday that he would sign up to become an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Mr. Cain's announcement on Wednesday came as the Trump administration pushes to hire thousands of new personnel to support its nationwide deportation campaign. Mr. Cain, 59, posted a video to his Instagram account on Wednesday urging people to join ICE, listing incentives that the administration has said it will offer new officers. The 'Superman' theme song plays in the background. Later in the day, Mr. Cain said on the Fox News program 'Jesse Watters Primetime' that he, too, was joining the agency: 'I will be sworn in as an ICE agent A.S.A.P.' he said, noting that he was a sworn deputy sheriff and a reserve police officer. As part of its recruitment drive, the Department of Homeland Security has eliminated the age limit for ICE officers. Last month, the department announced incentives for new recruits, including a signing bonus of up to $50,000, options for 'student loan repayment and forgiveness' and retirement benefits. Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary, told Fox News this week that she planned to hire 10,000 additional ICE personnel and that the department had already received 80,000 applications. Mr. Cain said in his Fox News interview that ICE would now have '80,000 and one recruits.' When asked if he would be 'hopping out of ICE vans and apprehending guys,' Mr. Cain said that he would do anything that Todd Lyons, the director of ICE, asked him to do, but added that he doubted that he would 'be in that position.' Representatives of ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr. Cain, who has more than 200 acting credits but is probably best known for his role on 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' is an outspoken supporter of the president. 'I love President Trump. I've been friends with him forever,' Mr. Cain told Variety last month. As the Trump administration has pursued the president's objective of deporting millions of people, immigration arrests increased nationwide in the first half of 2025 and more than doubled in 38 states, according to New York Times reporting. Most of the arrests have occurred in states with large immigrant populations, including Florida and Texas. To achieve the administration's deportation goals, ICE has been using more aggressive tactics in recent few months, including detaining people at immigration court hearings. ICE agents often wear masks when they carry out immigration raids. Mr. Cain, however, said he would not wear a mask. 'I've just outed myself completely right now,' he told Mr. Watters. 'And as much as my parents want me to wear a mask because they fear for it, no chance in hell.'
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Dangles $50,000 Bonuses, Debt Relief in ICE Staffing Push
The Trump administration is ramping up a massive hiring spree at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, offering up to $50,000 signing bonuses, waiving age limits and invoking wartime-style imagery in a bid to lure thousands of new officers. The campaign is part of a broader White House effort to dramatically scale up deportations, backed by a $150 billion border-security package signed into law last month by President Donald Trump, including $30 billion for ICE. More than 80,000 people have applied to join the agency since the recruitment drive began last week, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Superman actor Dean Cain joins ICE to ‘save America'
The former Superman actor Dean Cain has announced he has signed up to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement to 'help save America'. The one-time Man of Steel announced on social media that he had joined ICE, the agency responsible for finding, detaining and removing people in the United States illegally. 'For those who don't know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer as well as being a film-maker and I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it,' he said. 'So I joined up. 'Since President Trump took office, ICE has arrested hundreds of thousands of criminals including terrorists, rapists, murderers, pedophiles, MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers — you name it, very dangerous people who are no longer on the streets.' • Trump approval rating 2025: tracking the opinion polls Cain listed the benefits of joining the agency, including a $50,000 (£37,000) signing bonus and student loan repayment. 'You also don't need an undergraduate degree, you can get to work right away. So if you want to help save America, ICE is arresting the worst of the worst and removing them from America's streets. I like that. I voted for that,' he said. 'They need your help — we need your help — to protect our homeland for families. Join today if it's something that tickles your fancy because we can use you.' ICE data obtained by NBC News showed that 120,000 out of the 185,000 immigrants arrested by ICE since October had committed no serious crimes. Cain, 59, played the superhero in the 1990s TV show Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which also starred Teri Hatcher. The Department of Homeland Security is set to remove age limits for new hires at ICE as it increases hiring after a massive infusion of cash from Congress. At present, applicants must be at least 21 years old and no older than 37 or 40, depending on the position they are applying for. • Inside Trump's Office of Civil Rights, where 'white men replace minorities' Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said: 'We no longer have a cap on how old you can be or you can continue at age 18, sign up for ICE and join us and be a part of it. We'll get you trained and ready to be equipped to go out on the streets and help protect families.' As part of Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE was awarded $75 billion in extra funding, which includes money for hiring 10,000 agents by 2029. Trump was re-elected last year promising mass deportations and ICE has aggressively increased its immigration raids. In May, the White House said it wanted at least 3,000 ICE arrests a day, prompting an increase in raids, including a record 2,200 on June 4.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Superman Dean Cain stumps for ICE hiring initiative
Dean Cain is encouraging Americans to become Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The agency is in the middle of a massive hiring spree, hoping to bring on more officers to meet the demands set by President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda. The actor best known for playing Superman praised the agency in a video shared to social media, touting the benefits that come with ICE employment. 'You can defend your homeland and get great benefits,' the former Superman said. 'You don't need an undergraduate degree. You can get started right away.' Cain said that the increase in ICE arrests across the United States was 'removing the worst of the worst from America's streets, adding that the enforcement actions were something he 'voted for.' The libertarian thinktank Cato Institute notes that 65% of ICE detainees taken into custody between October and June had no criminal record. Over 90% of them had never been convicted of a violent crime. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Tuesday that ICE had received more than 80,000 applications for 10,000 positions. Though she touted the overwhelming response as a victory, she made additional moves that suggest ICE is struggling to recruit new employees. Noem announced the removal of age limits for ICE agents. Prospective officers previously aged out of consideration at 37. DHS also removed a lower age limit, allowing for applicants as young as 18 years old. ICE under Noem has been roundly criticized for playing fast and loose with the constitutional rights of detainees and members of Congress. Hastily erected detention centers like Florida's Alligator Alcatraz have been a regular source of horror stories from both detainees and employees. The post Former Superman Dean Cain stumps for ICE hiring initiative appeared first on Solve the daily Crossword
